


All I Want for Christmas is You

by SchalaDresdan



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - A Christmas Carol Fusion, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Death In Dream, Christmas, It is Part of the Original Story After All, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-12 11:38:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12958389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SchalaDresdan/pseuds/SchalaDresdan
Summary: After the Sochi Grand Prix Final, Yuuri Katsuki is ready to give up on skating, and ever meeting his idol.After the Sochi Grand Prix Final, all Victor Nikiforov can think about is seeing Yuuri Katsuki again at the World Championships.Then, a ghostly visitor comes to see Victor that will change everything.(Based on Charles Dickens'A Christmas Carol)





	1. Sochi

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is based off of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Except that Victor is not exactly like Scrooge. He just needs a push in the right direction.

Yuuri’s eyes were still red and puffy from crying. He felt like folding up on himself in despair.  _ I messed up… Maybe Yuri Plisetsky was right. Maybe I should just retire. _ He sighed dejectedly. Yuuri could feel the tears threatening behind his eyes again. He shut them tight to stave them off.

The small gift sitting in his pocket felt like a lead weight.  _ It seemed like such a good idea. ‘I’ll get Victor a gift, since the Grand Prix is so close to Christmas, and his birthday.’  _ Yuuri sighed.  _ But that was before I messed up my program tonight. I don’t deserve to talk to him… _

_...But I still want him to have it… _

Yuuri’s thoughts turned to the gift he had so carefully picked out as he reached into his pocket to touch the small package. He had managed to save some money, and spent $100 on a pair of cufflinks, silver ones shaped like poodles. Yuuri had known immediately that it was the perfect gift for Victor.

_ He has to wear suits so often, for interviews and events with his sponsors. And they look just like his dog, Makkachin.  _ Yuuri formed his hands into fists.  _ I may not deserve to talk to him, but I need to be brave. I need to give this to him. _

Yuuri sighed as he followed behind Coach Celestino. As he approached the exit, he heard someone yell out, “Katsuki-kun!”

Yuuri turned to see a reporter. Recognizing the man, he responded, “Newscaster Morooka…”

Morooka yelled out, “Don’t give up! It’s too early for you to retire!”

Yuuri sighed as he responded, “It’s not like I’ve made a decision. Please don’t make assumptions.”

Morooka, going into reporter mode, asked, “What will you do after you graduate from college?”

Yuuri stared blankly. “Uh…”

Morooka pressed on. “Will you still train in Detroit?”

Yuuri answered, “I’ll be talking that over with Coach Celestino.”

Morooka sighed as he said, “Katsuki-kun, I’m asking how you feel about this. Will you keep going…?”

Morooka’s voice seemed to fade away as Yuuri stared out the window of the Iceberg Skating Palace. His eyes were drawn to a woman holding a small poodle.  _ I don’t want to think. I’m sorry, Vicchan. Sorry I couldn’t come home… _

Yuuri heard a familiar voice say, “Yuri.” His eyes grew wide in surprise as he turned towards the voice. Victor Nikiforov was walking with Yuri Plisetsky. Victor continued, “About your free performance, the step sequence could use more…”

Yuri interrupted Victor, stating rudely, “I won, so who cares? Quit nagging, Victor.”

The two walked up to Yakov, who started yelling at Yuri, “Hey, Yuri, you can’t talk that way to Victor…”

Yuuri thought to himself as he watched the Russians,  _ Oh, the Yuri on the Russian Team. _ He sighed in disappointment.  _ If I do get a chance, someday I’d like to… _

At that moment, Victor turned his head towards Yuuri. Yuuri’s breath left his lungs in a rush as Victor looked at him. Victor turned towards Yuuri as Yuuri took a tentative step towards him. Yuuri felt like he was walking through mud as he made his way towards Victor.

Yuuri reached into his pocket for the gift as he closed the distance between them. He held out the gift as he stammered out, “V...Victor, I have a gift for you. It’s for Christmas, and your birthday…”

Victor took the gift from Yuuri’s shaking fingers and slipped it into his pocket. He was quiet for a moment. Victor then said, “Thank you. Want a commemorative photo?” He smiled brightly as he added, “Sure.”

Yuuri blushed bright red as he turned silently and walked away. Morooka asked him as he left the rink, “You don’t want a photo with Victor?”

The last thing he heard was Coach Celestino yell out, “Yuuri!”

_ This is humiliating. I was an idiot for thinking I could finally meet my idol on the same playing field. And to add to that, the embarrassment of giving him that gift, like a starstruck fan… No wonder he treated me like one… _

_ He didn’t even open it… _

***

The next day

Victor opened the small box that he had left sitting on the dresser of his hotel room.  _ These are the cutest cufflinks I’ve ever seen! They’re perfect.  _ He had been a little surprised, honestly, when Yuuri Katsuki had presented him with the gift, and more so when he just turned and walked away without another word.

_ I would have liked to talk to him. Or at least got a picture with him. Then, I could have asked for his number… to get the photo of course.  _ Victor sighed as he picked up one of the cufflinks and opened them. He attached them to the cuff of his dress shirt, before repeating the process on the other sleeve. He smiled as he thought,  _ Katsuki is an interesting individual. He is so quiet, but his skating is so beautiful and expressive. I would love to really get to know him someday. _

Victor slipped on his shoes and shrugged into his jacket. He checked his hair in the mirror as he sighed.  _ These galas are such a pain. They are always so dull. Just a bunch of suits trying to sweet talk us after our win. I wish I didn’t have to go… _

***

_ … I am so happy that I came tonight… _

Victor’s eyes were wide in surprise. Katsuki was drunk. Very drunk. The usually quiet and shy man was drinking champagne straight out of the bottle and dancing wildly around the room.  Victor pulled out his phone and took a few pictures.

Victor smiled as he watched him.  _ Wow, he is an incredible dancer. And he looks so carefree. He’s completely different than when I tried to talk to him before… _

Victor turned around to talk with an important sponsor, who had walked up while he was distracted. When he looked again, Katsuki was talking to Yuri. Victor couldn’t make out the conversation between them.  That is, until Yuri got angry.

Yuri yelled, “Like Hell! I won’t lose to the likes of you!”

Yuuri laughed, “Bring it, if you think you can!”

Yuri growled in frustration. He turned to Mila and yelled, “Hey, Old Hag! Get us some music! There is no way I’m losing to this moron!”

The two walked out into the middle of the room. Victor’s eyebrows went up.  _ What in the world are they going to do? _

Mila plugged her phone into the room’s speakers and began to play dance music. Yuri was glaring daggers at Yuuri as they started to move in time to the music. Mila grinned wickedly as she started to snap pictures with Yuri’s phone from across the room.

_ Are they having a DANCE OFF? Oh my God, this is fantastic _ . Victor grinned as he pulled his phone back out. He started snapping pictures as he watched the two dance.

_ Oh, wow, that is definitely not ballet… _

The two started off with simple moves, moving rhythmically to the music while clapping their hands to the rhythm. Then, Yuuri took off his jacket and threw it off to the side of the impromptu dance floor. He rolled up his sleeves and started to dance more intensely. Suddenly, he reached down towards the ground, doing a handstand, with only one hand touching the ground.

Victor looked on in awe, his mouth in a heart-shaped grin.  _ Wow, he is really good at this. Yuri is definitely losing…   _

The teen’s face showed his frustration as he pulled out all of the stops to try to beat, or at least catch up with, Yuuri. But despite Yuri’s best efforts, it was evident to all that Yuuri was by far the better dancer. The song came to an end.

Yuri stormed over to Yuuri and growled out, “You win this time, Katsuki. But I’ll beat you next time. Just wait, I'll cream you on the ice or the dance floor!”

Yuri stomped off to the side of the dance floor and grabbed his phone out of Mila’s hand. He angrily scrolled through the pictures on his phone. Yuri grumbled softly as he plopped down in a nearby chair, slouching down into the seat.

Victor barely stifled his laughter behind his hand.  _ Yuri is a bit of a sore loser. Next season will be fun for him… _

The music continued to play off of Mila’s phone. The current song had a strong flamenco beat to it. Victor was tapping his foot to the rhythm. Then, the unexpected happened.

Yuuri walked up to him and grabbed his hand. He looked Victor in the eyes as he said, “Victor, dance with me.”

Victor was already being pulled out into the center of the room before he managed to answer, “Ok.”

Victor was grinning widely as he tossed his phone to Mila. He said, “Take pictures for me, Mila.” She nodded.

After that, Victor didn’t have time to think. Yuuri grabbed his waist and lead him in a dance that was a passionate cross between a flamenco and a tango. Victor laughed in breathless delight as they crossed the floor together.

They separated briefly, posturing in traditional flamenco pose. Then Yuuri took Victor in his arms. Victor kicked his leg up, while leaning back. Yuuri laid one hand on Victor’s outstretched leg as the other gently caressed his face. Victor’s eyes were closed as he grinned.

They continued to dance until the song ended. Afterwards, Victor straightened his jacket and thought,  _ I wish the song had lasted longer. That was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. And wow… He is an incredible dancer… _

The next song had started to play. Yuuri tilted his head suggestively as he asked, “Another dance?”

Victor smiled widely as he said, “Yes.”  _ I would dance with you all night. _

The two danced until Victor felt like he was going to drop from exhaustion.  _ His stamina is amazing. He doesn’t even look tired at all. I wish that this didn’t have to end, but I don’t think I can… _

The song ended and Victor put his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. He thrust out his hand as he gasped out, “I’m sorry, Yuuri. I need a break.”

A brief look of sadness crossed Yuuri’s face before he replaced it with a smile. “Of course.”

Yuuri’s eyes scanned the room, looking for a new partner, when his eyes lit on Christophe. The Swiss man was in the process of setting up a pole to one side of the room.

Victor started in surprise.  _ He… he brought a stripper pole…  _ Victor chuckled.  _ Only Chris… _

Victor walked up to Mila and retrieved his phone. “Thank you, Mila.”

She smiled as she answered, “No problem. I got some good shots.” Her smile softened slightly. “It looked like you were having fun.”

Victor nodded. “I was.”

Victor turned from Mila to see that Christophe had removed all of his clothes save his underwear and tie. Yuuri was now without his pants and his shirt was unbuttoned. Victor whistled appreciatively at the sight.

_ I have a good idea where this is going, and I  _ **_definitely_ ** _ want pictures… _

***

Victor scrolled through the pictures he had taken during Christophe’s and Yuuri’s pole dance. At some point during their dance, Yuuri had removed his shirt. Victor stopped on one of the pictures to appreciate the athleticism needed to hold up both men using just Yuuri’s arms.

Victor smiled.  _ There is so much more to Yuuri Katsuki than I could ever have imagined.  _ He chuckled softly.  _ What happened to the shy man from the competition? _

Victor stuffed his phone in his pocket and looked around for the Japanese man. Someone had coaxed him back into his shirt, but his tie was around his head. Katsuki’s pants were still missing. Christophe was still unclothed, and Yuri was still seething from his loss earlier in the evening.

_ This has definitely been the most interesting gala I’ve ever been to… _

Yuuri looked around the room until he caught sight of Victor. He came up to Victor and hugged him, pinning Victor’s arms to his sides.

Yuuri swayed against Victor in a suggestive manner as he slurred out, “Victor… After this season ends, my family runs a hot spring resort, so please come.”

Yuuri let go of Victor as looked up into Victor’s face. His eyes were wide and bright as he asked, “If I win this dance off, you’ll become my coach, right?”

Victor started at the request. Before he had time to process it, Yuuri hugged Victor again as he said, “Be my coach, Victor!”

Victor’s eyes grew wide as he blushed.  _ I… want to say yes… Should I? _

Victor looked down at the man still clinging to him. He started to laugh softly. The combination of alcohol and exertion has caused Yuuri to pass out into a dead sleep.


	2. Am I Dreaming?

Russian National Championships  
Yekaterinburg, Russia  
Christmas Eve (December 24th)

Victor entered his hotel room, closing the door behind him. He latched and bolted the door before kicking off his shoes in the entranceway. Victor left his bag beside his shoes before crossing the room to the king sized bed. He fell backwards onto the bed, sighing as he covered his eyes with his arm.

_I’m exhausted. And it was just the short program tonight. Thank goodness that tomorrow is a day off. I only have morning practice, and then I’m free for the rest of the day._

Victor pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his Instagram feed, noting that there were many congratulatory posts from his fans. Victor had not been scrolling for long when his phone began to ring. He smiled. It was Chris.

Victor answered the phone in enthusiastic French. “Hello, Chris! Did you watch tonight?”

Christophe answered, “Yes, your program was perfect, like always.”

Victor scratched his cheek as he said, “You think so? I thought my landing on that last jump was a little wobbly…”

Chris interrupted him, “Victor, stop. You are well ahead of the competition. You can relax. Enjoy your day off tomorrow. Maybe celebrate your birthday?”

Victor sighed sadly. “What’s the point? None of my rink mates ever remember. The best I can hope for is a gruff ‘happy birthday’ from Yakov at practice tomorrow.”

Chris sighed heavily over the phone. “I’m sorry that I can’t be there tomorrow. It must be depressing, having to spend the day alone.”

Victor shrugged as he replied, “I’m used to it.”

_I’m not overly fond of the day, anyway. Too many bad memories…_

Chris said, “So, let’s change the subject. Are you still infatuated with that skater from the gala?”

Victor perked up at the mention of the gala. “You mean Yuuri Katsuki? Yes, I can’t wait to see him at the World Championships in March.”

Chris’s voice took on a teasing tone as he said, “I don’t know, Victor. Are you sure he likes you?”

Victor scoffed, “Were we at the same gala? He was hanging all over me for most of the night.”

Chris laughed and lightheartedly said, “True, but he pole danced, nearly naked I might add, with me. Who knows? If I didn’t have Julian, maybe I would try my luck…”

Victor said, “That’s not funny, Chris.”

Chris said, “What? I’m just being honest. He is going to be a good catch for someone. I wish you luck with the hunt.”

Victor sighed. “How is it that you can make anyone sound like just a piece of meat?” _Yuuri is more like a piece of art. Or something… I don’t know… something that should be cherished and cared for. He deserves better than me._

On the other end of the line, Chris chuckled. “It’s a special talent.” He paused for a moment. “Victor, all joking aside, you _are_ going to pursue some sort of relationship with him, right?”

Victor sighed. “I don’t know…”

Chris continued, “Victor, you are going to end up alone if you aren’t careful.”

Victor huffed in irritation. “Stop being so dramatic, Chris. You are acting like this is my only chance.”

Chris sighed, “Okay, I’m sorry I pushed. So what are you going to do tomorrow…?”

***

Victor was curled up in the loveseat with a book. The soft, warm blanket he had brought from home was wrapped around him. He had a cup of hot cocoa next to him on the end table. His phone was softly playing Tchaikovsky's  _ The Nutcracker _ . 

Victor closed his eyes for a moment to appreciate the music.  _ We always used to go to see the ballet as a family. Listening to it reminds me of happier times.  _ With his eyes closed, he could almost see the intricate dance sequences in his mind. Victor felt a familiar ache in his chest.  _ This time of year is always so hard, and lonely… _

Victor’s eyes began to feel heavy.  _ Maybe I should call it a night. I’ll just read to the end of this act first... _

***

“… Vitya…”

Victor woke with a start.  _ Mama… I thought I heard her call my name. But that’s impossible…  _

Victor rubbed his hand across his face and sat up. His body protested. After skating his program earlier in the day, falling asleep in a chair was not the best move.  _ I’m going to be stiff in the morning. _

“Vitya…”

Victor felt a chill go down his spine as he turned his head towards the voice. He gasped as he caught sight of the figure standing in the entranceway.  _ It… can’t be… Can it? _

Victor tried to speak, but the words stuck in his throat. She was just like he remembered her, when he last saw her ten years ago. Her long, light blonde hair was braided and arranged in a bun. Victor stared into blue eyes that mirrored his own. There was a soft smile on her lips. 

Victor finally managed to choke out, “Mama?”

She nodded. “Yes, sweetheart.”

Victor asked quietly, “How can you be here? This can’t be real, can it? Am I dreaming?”

The figure took a step towards Victor. “No, Vitya. This is real. But I cannot stay long.” She smiled as she held out her arms. “Come, let me have a look at the man you’ve become.”

Victor stood up from the loveseat, the blanket pooling down around his feet. He stumbled across the distance between them, but hesitated.  _ If she is a spirit, can I touch her? Dare I even try? _

His mother reached out and wrapped Victor in an embrace that was surprisingly warm. Victor tentatively reached out and returned the embrace.  _ It has been so very long…  _

Victor rested his head on her shoulder as tears started to fall from his eyes. He cried out, “Mama, I’ve missed you and Papa so much. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” 

She shushed him gently. “Sweetheart, it wasn’t your fault. Stop blaming yourself.”

She pulled away slightly to look at Victor. “Vitya, we never meant to leave you. I know it’s been hard on you, being alone all of this time.” She brushed his hair out of his face. The gesture brought fresh tears to Victor’s eyes.

His mother continued, “Vitya, you have closed off yourself from others for much too long. You are so afraid of being hurt again that you don’t allow anyone in.”

Victor started to protest. She quirked an eyebrow as she said, “Don’t even try to tell me that it isn’t true. You have only one friend. And when was the last time you were in a relationship? Your father and I are extremely proud of the young man you have grown into, but we worry.”

Victor asked, “Worry? About what?”

His mother sighed as she said, “Vitya, if you continue down this path, there is a bleak and lonely future ahead of you. But there is still time to change. Tonight you will be visited by three spirits. Learn from them. Change your fate. Find happiness, Vitya.”

She leaned forward and gently kissed his forehead. “I love you…”

With those final words, the spirit of his mother faded. Victor reached out desperately. He fell to his knees as he cried out, “Mama, please. Please don’t leave me all alone. Not again…” His tears turned to heart-wrenching sobs as he choked out, “Please... please come back… Mama…”

Victor fell to the floor. He curled in on himself as he sobbed. His tears slowed as he tried to sort through his raw emotions.  _ It was real, right? She was really here? I could feel her, touch her. It was too vivid to be a dream…  _

He slowly rose from the floor, wiping the remaining tears from his face. Victor glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost midnight.  _ It’s late, I should go to bed. I can worry about this in the morning.  _

Victor’s mind returned to the warning his mother had given him, as he wandered towards the hotel bathroom.  _ I’ll be visited by three spirits, huh? What is this, some kind of Dickensian tale?  _ He chuckled.  _ There is no way that this is real, right?  _

He went about his nightly routine. The familiar pattern of washing his face and brushing his teeth helped calm his nerves. He slipped into a comfortable pair of pajama pants with a matching shirt. Victor retrieved his blanket from the floor, and added it to the ones on the bed, to ward off the cold night. Then, he plugged in his phone and set it on the bedside table. He curled up in the blankets and switched off the bedside lamp. 

_ I’m never going to calm my mind enough to fall asleep. Not after that… _

Victor laid his head against the pillow. His eyes were sore from crying, and his chest hurt from the emotional backlash of the evening. Victor gently touched the place on his forehead where his mother had kissed him.  _ Was it just a dream? Part of me wants it to be, and the other part… _

_ If it was a dream, how did I end up halfway across the room, curled up on the floor? It had to be real, right? So does that mean that I really will be visited by more spirits tonight? _

A quote from the play he had been reading came to mind. “ _ There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. _ ” Victor sighed.  _ Obviously the combination of Shakespeare and Tchaikovsky was not kind to me. But perhaps… Perhaps it was real.  _

_ I will just have to wait and see what happens later tonight.  _

Victor turned over onto his side, clutching a pillow as a poor substitute for his beloved Makkachin. He sighed deeply as he closed his eyes. Victor forced his breathing to slow as he tried to sleep. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has always been my personal head-canon that Victor's parents are dead, since he never mentions them at all in the series.
> 
> *small edit* I changed the time period since Victor’s parents died from eleven years to ten years.


	3. Christmas Past

The numbers on the alarm clock ticked over to 1.

“Oi, Victor, get up. I don’t have all night.”

Victor slowly opened his eyes in response to the familiar voice. He groaned as his body protested from too little sleep.

The voice, more insistent now, said, “Are you going to lie there all night?” The voice sighed before adding, “Why do I have to deal with this moron…?”

Victor sat up and blinked in confusion. “Yuri? What are you doing here? I thought you were visiting your grandfather in Moscow…”

Yuri crossed his arms across his chest and scowled at Victor. His voice was softer than normal as he responded, “He is. I am the spirit of Christmas Past. I learned long ago that my true guise is… unsettling to many. So I took the form of your young rinkmate. Obviously his personality has, um, bled through a little too.”

The spirit sighed. “This one has such a strong personality. I wasn’t anticipating it.” He looked down as he mumbled, “I should have picked someone else…”

Victor put his hand to the side of his head. _The spirit of Christmas Past. I really_ **_am_ ** _in a Dickensian tale…  I don’t even celebrate Christmas anymore. Why is this happening to me? Just how bad is my future?_ A chill went down Victor’s spine at the thought.

Yuri scoffed. “This is ridiculous. I don’t celebrate Christmas until later, and you don’t celebrate Christmas at all.” He huffed, “Stupid western traditions. At least it’s your birthday, so it’s not a complete waste of my time.”

Victor sighed before he said, “So, you are here to show me some of my Christmases from years past? Except in my case, we’ll be seeing my past birthdays?”

Yuri responded, “Tch, maybe you aren’t as big of a moron as I thought. Now, hurry up. We have places to go.”

Victor nodded before pulling back the covers and stepping out of the bed. He stepped closer to Yuri, who held out a hand towards Victor. Victor stared at the hand, unsure of what to do next.

Yuri growled, “Take my hand. Hell, it’s not like it’s rocket science. I mean, how slow can you possibly be?”

Victor grabbed his hand. The world spun out in a vortex of color. When the world resettled, Victor instantly recognized his hometown of Saint Petersburg. The cold winter air carried a hint of salt. There was snow on the ground, and more was gently falling. Victor shivered from the cold and shuffled his bare feet awkwardly in a vain effort to keep them warm. He looked up to see a familiar two-story townhouse. Victor let go of Yuri’s hand and quietly said, “I’m home…”

Yuri asked, “What?”

Victor sighed, his breath coming out as a puff of white. He said, “I’m home. This is my childhood home, where I lived while my parents were still alive.” He pointed to a window on the second floor. “That is my bedroom window.”

Yuri said, “Hmm, well let’s get this over with. Come on, Victor. Let’s go in and see what we need to see. We don’t have all night.”

Victor cocked his head in confusion. He asked, “But how are we getting in?”

Yuri threw up his hands in frustration. “This is worse that dealing with a child. _We’re not really here, you idiot!_ We can go through the wall. Here.” He angrily held out his hand towards Victor.

Victor sighed as he took hold of Yuri’s hand. _Which birthday is this? What will the spirit show me? At least I know it isn’t_ **_that_ ** _one… I wasn’t home for it…_

Yuri dragged Victor towards the house. Then, Victor felt the strange, unsettling sensation of his feet leaving the ground. He gasped in surprise.

Yuri scoffed, “Oh, did I forget to mention that I can fly? Don’t let go, I imagine that it would hurt.”

Victor gulped as he nodded in agreement. They came to the window of Victor’s old room. Victor, his curiosity piqued, looked inside. The room was dark. He could see a small form tucked into the bed. The child’s long silver hair was spilled across the pillows. _That’s me. This is beyond strange. I guess I was about… 12?_

Yuri sighed as he asked, “Are you ready to go in? Or would you prefer to freeze to death outside this window?” Yuri shook his head and muttered under his breath, “Damn, this is going to be a long night. I can’t believe I have to deal with this idiot…”

Victor nodded as he said, “Yes, let’s go in. I’m ready.”

Yuri pulled Victor through the window and into the room beyond. Yuri sighed and pulled his hood up over his head. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned back, with one foot up on the wall. Victor stood next to him, patiently waiting for the scene to play out before him.  

The door to the bedroom slowly opened. Victor’s mother entered the room quietly. She turned to someone behind her and put her finger to her lips. A man followed her into the room. He had Victor’s same silver hair, and his signature heart-shaped grin. Victor’s eyes grew wide. _Papa… I never thought I would get to see him again._

Victor’s father was carrying something, which was excitedly whining and wriggling. It was a poodle puppy, with a large red bow instead of a collar. Victor let out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. He grinned. _Oh… this is the birthday that I got Makkachin! This is one of my favorite memories._

Victor’s father was quietly chuckling as he gently set the small dog on the bed. The dog sniffed his way up to the sleeping child’s face, and immediately began to lick him. Young Victor groaned in his sleep. He groggily said, “Stop…”

Yuri laughed, “I see that you have always been hard to wake up.”

Victor blushed slightly. “Guilty as charged, I’m afraid…”

Young Victor opened his eyes. The moment that his eyes focused on the dog, his eyes went wide in delight. He sat up in bed and gathered the puppy up in a hug. The puppy squirmed in his hold, but did not seem to be in distress. He looked excitedly at his parents.

His father counted down from three with his fingers. Then, in unison, they said, “Happy birthday, Vitya!”

Young Victor said, “A puppy? You really got me a puppy for my birthday?”

His parents nodded. His father said, “You’ve been asking for a dog for ages. Your mother and I decided that you were old enough to take care of it now.”

His mother added, “You will be responsible for walking him, feeding him, and bathing him when he needs it.”

Young Victor responded, “Yes, Mama. I’ll do my best.”

His mother said, “We also got tickets to go see _The Nutcracker_. We were lucky, it is going to be the Christmas Eve performance.”

Young Victor rolled his eyes and sighed, “ _The Nutcracker_ again? We go every year.”

She laughed, “That’s what makes it a tradition, Vitya. Trust me, one of these days you’ll look back and think of this fondly.”

Victor nodded. _What I wouldn’t give to be able to go to the ballet one more time with them. I never thought that I would miss it…_  

His father grinned as he approached the bed. He reached out and pulled both of the young Victor’s earlobes. The boy grabbed his ears and yelled, “No! Papa, don’t pull my ears!” 

As the boy leapt from the bed to get away, his father responded, “But it’s tradition!” He took off after young Victor.

Young Victor yelled, “I don’t care! It hurts, and I don’t like it!”

His father said, “It doesn’t hurt…” He continued to chase young Victor down the hall. 

Victor watched them wistfully. He gently tugged at his earlobe, remembering the sensation of his father pulling them every year. _Every year, I ran. Every year, he caught me. It has been so long…_

Yuri noticed Victor tugging on his ear. He made a soft “Tch” sound as he turned away. He softly said, “I always pretended to hate it when Grandpa pulled my ears, too. He still does it on my birthday, if he can catch me.”

Victor’s mother yelled after the two in the hall, “Ivan, be careful. Don’t make him hurt himself…”

The words had barely left her lips when there was a loud crash. Her hands went to her mouth as she rushed out to see what had happened. Victor followed his mother out to see.

From the bottom of the staircase they heard the young Victor say, “I’m okay.” There was a sharp intake of breath before he added, “Oww...”

Young Victor had landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs. His parents rushed down to him. Young Victor was bleeding from a cut on his arm. Victor looked down at the boy at the bottom of the stairs and subconsciously touched a place on his arm. Yuri looked closely and saw that there was an old, faded scar on Victor’s arm.

Yuri asked, “Is that scar from this?”

Victor looked down at the place he didn’t even realize he was touching and nodded. “I tripped near the bottom of the stairs and cut myself on something. We never did figure out what it was. It was just deep enough to leave a scar. I also had some bruises, and I twisted my ankle slightly. I remember that Yakov wouldn’t let me skate for a week so it could heal.”

While the two talked, the puppy had made its way down the stairs to the rest of the family. Victor’s mother had left to get the first aid kit. His father sat with the young Victor, checking him for injuries. The puppy crawled into the boy’s lap.

Victor sighed at the bittersweet scene in front of him. _Yes, this is one of my favorite birthday memories. I was so happy._

Yuri looked at Victor and said, “I think we’ve seen what we needed to see here. It is time to move on. Are you ready?”

Victor nodded. “Let’s go.”

He took Yuri’s offered hand, and the memory around him began to spin out. When the world resettled, they were inside a skating arena. A teenaged Victor with long silver hair down to his waist was about to step out onto the ice. His face was devoid of all emotion, like he was in a state of shock.

A concerned Yakov asked, “Are you sure you want to do this, Victor? It is not too late, I can still pull you from the competition.”

Teenaged Victor shook his head. “No. This is my first time at the Russian Nationals as a senior competitor. And they wouldn’t want me to withdraw. They would want me to carry on…”

Yakov sighed as he sent his young skater out onto the ice. 

Victor rushed to the guard rail. His hand went to his mouth. Tears were forming in his eyes. “No. Not this one…”

He turned towards Yuri. “Please, don’t make me watch this.”

Yuri shrugged and said, “I have no control over which memories you see.”

Victor cried out, “But there is no way that I could ever forget this. I… can’t watch this…”

Yuri cocked his head and asked, “What could possibly be so bad? Stop being a baby, Victor.”

Tears were running down Victor’s face. He screamed at Yuri, “MY PARENTS DIED!” Victor collapsed to his knees in front of a stunned Yuri.

Yuri stood there silently. His attention was split between the teenaged Victor performing his short program to a selection from _Swan Lake_ and the sobbing Victor on his knees in front of him.

Yuri whispered, “I didn’t know… I’m sorry…” He stepped closer to Victor. He placed his hand on Victor’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. “I’ll watch for you. You don’t have to watch, Victor.”

The music ended. The teenager held his final pose for the briefest of moments before he collapsed to the ice, sobbing as if his heart had shattered.

Victor choked out, “Mama chose my music for the short program that year. I managed to keep it together until the end. I think I was still in shock…”

The teenager did not move. There was a murmur in the crowd as people began to wonder if the young skater was hurt. Yakov grumbled, “I knew this was a bad idea. I should have made him withdraw.”

Yakov stepped out onto the ice. When he reached Victor, he held out a hand towards the young man and said softly, “Come, Victor. Let’s get you away from all of these prying eyes. You should mourn in private.”

The teenager nodded, and took Yakov’s offered hand. Yakov lead him off the ice. Yakov said, “First, we need to go to the kiss and cry. Then, I’ll have Lilia take you back to the hotel.”

Teenaged Victor nodded again, barely registering the words. He was on autopilot, tears still streaming down his face.

Yuri knelt down in front of Victor. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out and awkwardly hugging Victor. Victor’s eyes widened in surprise. _This is… unlike Yuri._

Victor relaxed slightly. He rested his head on Yuri’s shoulder and mumbled into it, “I had come to Kazan for the competition with Yakov about a week before the competition started. They were on their way to see me compete. There was an accident. Mama died at the scene. Papa held on for a while, but died in surgery. They told me the day before the competition started.”

Yuri hissed in a breath. “No wonder Yakov wanted to pull you out of the competition.”

Victor nodded slowly. “I… couldn’t process it. I was in shock, I think. I thought that it couldn’t possibly be real. That I would go home and everything would be like it was before.” 

Victor shook his head. “But nothing would ever be the same.” He sighed, his tears starting to slow. “When we got back to Saint Petersburg, Yakov helped me with all of the arrangements. I have no other family, so it all fell on my shoulders, at 17, to bury my parents.”

Yuri shook his head. “I can’t even imagine…”

Victor pulled away from Yuri. “I moved in with Yakov and Lilia after the funeral. They helped me sell the house. I just couldn’t stand to be alone in that house after…” He sighed.

Yuri said quietly, “So this was when you started to close yourself off. Your parents would not have wanted that.” 

Victor, his tears starting anew, all but shouted, “I know! I know… but I can’t go through this again…”

As he cried, the world spun out yet again. Victor found himself alone in his hotel bed. He clung to his pillow and cried himself into a restless sleep.

***

Moscow

Yuri woke with a start. He sat up and put a hand to his head. Potya mewed softly in protest at being dislodged so rudely. _What a strange dream… Why would I dream about Victor?_ He shook his head. _It seemed so real._  

He touched his cheek and found that it was slightly damp. _Was I crying in my sleep? What the Hell?!? Why?_

Yuri laid back down. Potya settled back down with him. Yuri lightly stroked his fur as he tried to settle his mind.

_Maybe I should call Victor tomorrow. No, I have a better idea…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so as I was researching Russian Christmas traditions, I found out that Christmas in Russia is celebrated on January 7th, not December 25th. So that is what Yuri meant by celebrating it later.
> 
> Also, it is a tradition in Russia, and in a few other countries that I know of, to pull someone's ears on their birthday. 
> 
> And I would just like to add that I'm sorry...


	4. Christmas Present

The numbers on the alarm clock ticked over to 2.  

The bed shifted, like someone sat down on it. A familiar voice said, “Victor.”

Victor buried his face further into his pillow. His eyes were still sore from crying, the remnants of his tears still wet on his face. He mumbled into the pillow, “Go away.”

The bed shifted again. The voice said, “Now is that any way to talk to your best friend?”

Victor looked up from his pillow into Christophe’s smiling face. Chris frowned. “Victor, what did the first spirit show you?”

Victor sighed heavily. “If you were really Christophe Giacometti, and not a spirit pretending to be him, you wouldn’t have to ask. You would know.”

The spirit masquerading as Chris held up his hands and shrugged. “You’re right. And as upset as you clearly are, I wish I really was your friend Chris.” He sighed. “But, I’m the spirit of Christmas Present.”

Victor let his face fall back into the pillow. He mumbled, “I don’t want to see any more. Please, go away.”

Chris sighed. “I can’t. I can’t leave until you see what you need to see.”

Victor looked up from his pillow and asked, “Are you telling me that this hellish night won’t end until I see what all three spirits have to show me?”

Chris nodded. “I’m afraid so. Come, Victor. Sooner started is sooner done.”

Victor sighed heavily. “This is such a waste of time. I can tell you how tomorrow will be. It had been the same for years. Sure, I’ll spend most of the day alone, but I’m used to it.”

Chris shook his head as he said, “ No one should have to spend their birthday alone every year.” He sighed. “Well, regardless of what you think, I still have a responsibility. Come, Victor. Let’s go.”

Victor groaned. He slowly moved out of the bed. Victor stood next to Christophe and quirked his eyebrow. He said, “Ok, let’s get this over with.”

Chris held out his hand as he said, “Just take my hand, Victor.”

Victor grasped Chris’s hand. As he did, the world began to spin out.  _ Good thing I’m used to the world spinning around me like this. I think it could make someone sick… _

When the world resettled, Victor easily recognized the arena at Yekaterinburg. They appeared near the guard rail where the skaters would go on the ice. Yakov was standing next to the guard rail, yelling at Mila. “Your short program is tonight! Clean up that footwork! You’ll never get to the Worlds like this!”

Victor looked around the rink. Mila and Georgi were both on the ice. Mila was working on her short program, while Georgi was practicing his free skate. Chris began to chuckle quietly.

He turned to Victor and said, “It appears that you are late to practice.”

Victor shrugged. “Not yet. Yakov told me to be here by 9. Those two are early.”

Victor pointed to a figure walking towards the ice. He said, “See, right on time.”

Yakov turned towards the newcomer and gruffly said, “Vitya, it is about time. You’re late.”

Victor laughed as he answered, “No, I’m right on time. Stop fussing, Yakov.”

Yakov shook his head as he responded, “I don’t know what to do with you. You never listen to a word I say…”

Victor interrupted him, “And yet I am still the four-time World Champion. Stop worrying. Tomorrow will be a piece of cake.”

Yakov sighed. “Get out on the ice. Warm up with figures while I work with Mila. No quads today, Vitya, I mean it! We don’t want to risk an injury right before the free skate.”

Victor was standing next to the entrance to the ice, removing his blade guards. Yakov added, “Vitya, happy birthday.”

Victor smiled wanly as he said, “Thank you.” He stepped out on the ice and began his warm ups. 

Chris sighed as he turned towards the Victor still standing beside him. “You don’t appear to be very happy.”

Victor narrowed his eyes as he thought.  _ He’s right. I don’t seem to be happy. Am I so used to being alone? Has it become my normal? _

_ I know how the rest of the day will go. After practice, I’ll go out shopping or sightseeing by myself. Then, I’ll go back to the hotel. Chris will call me to wish me happy birthday. And I will order room service and read until bed. _

_ Is that a terrible birthday? Is it normal for me now?  _ His finger tapped his chin as he mumbled, “Can I change this? Should I?”

Chris said softly, “It is not too late.”

Victor asked plaintively, “How?”

Chris held out his hand. “Come, we have another’s Christmas yet to see. Perhaps it will show you what you wish to know.”

Chris held out his hand. Victor took it as he wondered  _ whose Christmas is it that they want me to see? _

The world spun away. When it resettled, they were standing in a hotel room. Victor looked around curiously.  _ Where are we, I wonder?  _

The room was dark, the curtains covering the windows. It was chilly, and quiet. The bed was unmade, the blankets in a large pile near the center. 

Victor turned to Chris and asked, “Is there anyone here? Who are we here to see?”

At that moment, the blankets began to move. Victor heard a voice speaking softly to itself in a language that he couldn’t understand. A hand reached out from the blankets and grasped the phone off of the nightstand. It pushed a few buttons.

Victor could hear the phone ringing.  _ It must be on speaker _ . The call connected and an enthusiastic voice said, “Yuuri!”

Victor started.  _ Yuuri? As in, Yuuri Katsuki?  _

Victor looked expectantly at Chris, who just shrugged. 

The form still buried under the blankets answered sullenly, “Hey, Phichit.”

Phichit said, “Are you still upset about last night? So you fell on your quad, big deal. You had the rotations, so it counted. You are still in second place. You’re free skate’s base score is way higher than any of your competitors. Forget about making the podium. You can still win gold.”

Victor sighed.  _ Yuuri fell last night? How did I not know that? Usually I keep up with the different competitions better than this. Maybe because I was distracted with my own competition? _

Victor’s eyes went wide as a realization hit him.  _ If he doesn’t come in first, he won’t get to go to the World Championships. I won’t get to see him again until next year…  _

Yuuri’s voice was muffled by the blankets. “I wish I had as much confidence in me as you do. But I screwed up my free skate at the Grand Prix Final. I… don’t think I can do this…”

Phichit sighed on the other end of the phone. “Okay, first off, get out from under the blankets, Yuuri. I can barely hear you.”

Yuuri grumbled as he made his way out of the blankets. He shivered visibly once he was out. “Hold on, Phichit. It’s cold in here. I need to turn up the heat.”

Yuuri rose from the bed. He moved slowly towards the thermostat on the wall. Unbeknownst to him, Yuuri stopped right beside Victor. His hand would have been brushing Victor’s, but instead it passed right through it. Victor shivered.

Yuuri finished adjusting the heat. As he moved away, Victor brought his hand up and rubbed at the place where Yuuri’s hand passed through. 

Yuuri moved back to the bed. He sat on the bed and wrapped himself in the blankets. His face was exposed, with his phone resting on his lap. He said, “Sorry about that, Phichit.”

Phichit said, “It’s okay.” He sighed as he added, “Let me guess. You came back last night after the short programs and, after calling me briefly, you buried yourself in the blankets and called for room service. What horrible diet-breaking food did you have this time?”

Yuuri looked over at the empty dishes left from the night before. He sighed. “You know me too well. Katsudon. I ordered katsudon. I hoped it might calm me down. Unfortunately, it didn’t help. I think it might have made it worse.”

Phichit’s voice softened. “Yuuri…”

Yuuri started to tear up. “This has been the worst month of my life! First, Mari called to tell me that Vicchan died.”

Phichit added, “I still think she should have waited until  _ after _ the Grand Prix Final to tell you that your dog died. I’m sorry, Yuuri.”

Yuuri sniffled as he said, “I know. Thanks, Phichit.” He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes with one hand.

Victor’s hand went to his mouth.  _ His dog died? Right before the Grand Prix Final?  _ He whispered, “No wonder he was such a mess…”

Chris nodded. “As if the pressure of being in the Grand Prix Final for the first time wasn’t bad enough. Poor guy.”

Yuuri continued, “And then there was that disaster of a free skate. And the fact that I  _ finally  _ got to meet my idol, and he thought I was just a fan. He didn’t even realize that I was competing too, Phichit!”

Phichit sighed, “I know. I don’t know what to tell you, Yuuri.”

Yuuri had tears running down his face as he asked, “Was it the gift? Was it too much? Not enough?”

Phichit said, “Yuuri, please don’t start this again. You scrimped and saved for that gift. You ate nothing but cheap instant ramen for a month, and I helped you lie to Ciao Ciao about it.”

Yuuri smiled briefly through the tears. “Thanks for that, Phichit. You are the best friend that I could ever ask for.”

Phichit continued, “The gift was not the problem. Victor Nikiforov is the problem. If he is too self-absorbed to notice what is right in front of him, it is his loss.”

Victor felt like someone had hit him right in the gut.  _ Does Yuuri think that I don’t like him? How? After the gala… _

Yuuri smiled weakly. “You’re the best, Phichit. Thank you.” He took a deep breath. “I still wish I could remember what happened at the Grand Prix Gala. I  _ know _ that I drank too much champagne. The hangover I had the next day was proof of that.”

Phichit sighed, “And this time I wasn’t there to fill in the blanks. Have you remembered anything else?”

Yuuri shook his head as he said, “No, nothing. I  _ think _ I danced around the room at some point. I  _ know  _ that I woke up wearing only my shirt and briefs. And I had the strangest dream ever. I was pole dancing, with Christophe Giacometti…”

Phichit squeaked before he said, “Yuuri, you didn’t tell me about that.”

Yuuri sighed, “I know. I was trying to figure out if it was a memory or a dream. I’m still not sure…”

Victor whispered, “He doesn’t remember the gala. How can he not remember?”

Chris said, “He  _ was  _ really drunk. His conversation with his friend makes it seem that memory loss when he drinks is common.” He shrugged, “What are you going to do about it?”

Victor thought for a moment. He smiled. “There are pictures, and I think Mila even has a video or two on her phone. I can help him remember.”

Chris chuckled. “It sounds like maybe you already have a bit of a plan.”

Victor nodded.

Yuuri wiped more tears from his eyes. “If I can’t manage to pull it together for tomorrow’s free skate, this will be the end of my season. Japan only gets one slot for Four Continents and the World Championships. I guess… I guess if I fail tomorrow that maybe I should just take it as a sign and retire.”

Phichit and Victor both yelled, “WHAT!?!” in unison.

Victor looked like he was going to be ill. “He can’t quit. He is such a beautiful, expressive skater. His retirement would be a loss to the sport as a whole.” He looked wistfully at Yuuri as he added, “I thought you wanted me to be your coach, Yuuri. Was that just the champagne talking?”

Phichit, his voice still high from his outburst, said, “Yuuri, don’t make any rash decisions. You’re just upset right now. You’re right, it has been a hard month for you. And being separated from everyone has been really hard on you. I haven’t seen you since you left for the Grand Prix Final several weeks ago.”

Phichit’s voice started to settle back into its normal range. “In a few days, you’ll be back in Detroit. Just in time for New Year’s. We’ll hit up a party. It will be fun. I know you had to spend Christmas alone, again. But at least you’ll be back here with me for New Year’s, right?”

Yuuri sighed. “You’re right. I’ll wait to make a decision about next season. I still have one more semester to finish for my degree. I  _ think _ I have enough money to pay Celestino’s fees until then. I’ll… try.”

Phichit’s smile was evident even over the phone. “That is all that I ask. And Yuuri, instead of staying in the room all day, maybe you should get out for a bit? Visit a shrine? It couldn’t hurt to ask for a little divine intervention, right?”

Yuuri smiled. “Yeah, I think that would help settle some of my nerves. Thanks. Phichit. You always seem to know what to say to make me feel a little bit better. Are you going to stream the competition tomorrow?”

Phichit laughed. “You know it. A bunch of the guys from the rink are coming over for a viewing party. We’ll be rooting for you.”

Yuuri’s smile brightened. “Okay. I’m flying back to Detroit on the 28th, so I won’t be there until the 29th.”

Phichit said, “Yes, Yuuri. I remember. You’ve told me every day for the last two weeks. Ciao Ciao is coming to pick you up. I’ll have a breakfast that is definitely not diet approved waiting on you.”

Phichit yawned loudly. “Sorry about that. I had a hard practice today. I guess it wore me out more than I thought.”

Yuuri said, “It’s late there, right? And if I know Celestino, he is working you extra hard because school is out right now. I’m sorry that I kept you up.”

Phichit stifled another yawn as he said, “It’s okay. Good luck tomorrow. I’ll see you in a few days. Merry Christmas, Yuuri.”

“Merry Christmas, Phichit.”

The call ended. 

The world spun out around Victor. When it settled, he found himself once again back in his own hotel room, laying on the bed.  _ Poor Yuuri. I had no idea. Is there something I can do for him?  _

Victor sighed as he flopped over onto his side, clutching the pillow.  _ I need to think about it. Surely I can do something… _

Despite his scattered thoughts, or perhaps because of them, Victor fell into an uneasy sleep.

***

Geneva

Christophe opened his eyes.  _ Hmm, did I fall asleep. _ He glanced at the clock on the table next to his chair.  _ It is not even eleven. A little early for me.  _ He reached up to find that his glasses were still on his face. The book he had been reading had fallen from his hands into his lap. He reached up to rub the sore muscles in his neck caused by falling asleep in the chair. 

He mumbled quietly, “What a strange dream…”

Julian walked into the room and asked, “What was that?”

Chris smiled drowsily at his boyfriend. “Hmm, sorry. I fell asleep and had a strange dream.”

Julian walked over to Chris and kissed him gently on the forehead. He reached down for the book in Chris’s lap. He glanced at the cover and raised his eyebrows. “Huh, a trashy romance novel. Interesting choice.” 

Chris sighed. “Don’t judge. I like romance novels. But it probably caused the dream.”

Julian set the book down on the table. He leaned down and caught Chris’s lips in a soft kiss. Julian smiled as he said, “Come to bed. You can tell me all about your dream. Okay?”

Chris chuckled low in his throat as he replied, “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I forgot just how hectic the holidays really are, and my beta was out of town until today. The good news is that chapter 5 is nearly done and should be up soon.


	5. Christmas Yet to Come

The numbers on the alarm clock ticked over to 3.

Victor awoke with a start.  _ What woke me?  _ He glanced at the clock and moaned.  _ Oh, it’s three am. Time for the third and final spirit… _

Victor glanced around the room. He started when he noticed the figure draped in a long black hooded cloak. Victor hissed in a breath.  _ Is that… Death?  _

Hesitantly Victor asked, “Are you the final spirit? Christmas Yet to Come?”

The figure nodded slowly, but remained silent.

Victor sighed.  _ Just like in the original tale, this one is all kinds of creepy. I guess it is meant to scare me? _

Victor pulled back the blankets and stepped out of the bed. He ran his hand through his disheveled hair.  _ I don’t want to touch this one. Am I going to have to? _

The only part of the spirit that Victor could see under the cloak was one skeletal hand. It was beckoning Victor closer. Hesitantly, Victor moved to stand in front of the spirit. It reached out and grasped Victor’s shoulder, sending chills down Victor’s spine. 

The world once again spun out around Victor as he tried to shake the feeling of dread that had permeated his soul at the spirit’s touch.  _ I don’t want to see whatever it is that this spirit has to show me. I have a feeling it will be nothing I want to see…  _

The world settled into place. He was at a rink he didn’t recognize. Yakov was standing next to the guard rail, yelling at Yuri. “Your step sequences still need work! Remember, not only do you still have the free skate tomorrow, but the Olympics are in a little over a month. If you want to win the gold, you need to work harder!”

Yuri skated up to the rail. Victor noticed with a start that the boy appeared to be older. He had grown considerably and had lost the childish look in his features.  _ How many years in the future is this? _

Yuri grumbled, “Why can’t I work with Victor today?”

Yakov sighed and he growled, “Victor hasn’t shown up yet. He is unreliable as a coach.”

Yuri scowled as he said, “But he understands me better than you.  _ And _ he choreographed my routines.”

Victor said, “So it is far enough in the future for me to be retired. I’m guessing maybe six years from now? The Olympics they are discussing would be the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.”

Victor looked at the spirit for confirmation, but the spirit stood silent and unmoving.

Victor watched as a figure slowly walked out towards the ice. He moved slowly, as if the cold of the rink caused his body to ache. Victor sucked in a breath. “That’s me. I look so… worn down… What happened to me?”

The Victor of the future walked up to Yakov. He said, “Sorry I’m late. I had a hard time getting around this morning…”

Yakov muttered, “Well at least you showed up this time. I swear, Vitya, if you were anyone else, I would fire you.”

Future Victor ran his hand through his hair as he sighed, “I know. I’m sorry, Yakov. I’ll try to do better.”

Yakov turned to Yuri and said, “I want you to run your step sequence until I tell you to stop.”

Yuri huffed, “Whatever.” He made his way to the starting position for the step sequence. Yakov watched Yuri as he talked to Victor.

“It’s getting worse, isn’t it? The pain?”

Future Victor nodded. “Nearly unbearable.” 

Yakov sighed. “Vitya, I wish you would reconsider. Go see the physical therapist. He could help you manage the pain.”

Future Victor replied, “I’ll think about it. Maybe I’ll go after we get back from Nationals.”

Yakov shook his head. “You’re as stubborn as ever. You never have listened to me.” He sighed, “I just worry about you, Vitya.”

Future Victor said quietly, “I know. And I appreciate it.”

Yakov put his hand on Victor’s shoulder and squeezed it. “Happy birthday, Vitya.”

Future Victor smiled sadly as he replied, “Thanks, Yakov. So, who am I working with today…?”

Victor looked at the spirit beside him. He asked, “What happened to me to make me like that in just six years time? An injury? It would explain the way I was moving.”

Victor closed his eyes as he took a breath. “I look so… broken. Can this be avoided?”

He opened his eyes and looked expectantly at the spirit. The spirit gave no answer. It reached out and grasped Victor’s shoulder once again. The world spun out.

When the world resettled, the sky was grey. Snow was gently falling, adding to the snow already on the ground. There was the scent of salt in the air. Victor said, “Saint Petersburg…”

Victor looked around at his surroundings and shuddered when he recognized the wrought iron gate behind him. His eyes focused on the markers covered in snow around him. Victor turned to the spirit and asked, “Why are we at the cemetery where my parents are buried? Why bring me here?”

The spirit raised his hand and pointed. Victor looked in the direction it pointed and gasped. A small group of people was standing there. “A funeral…? Don’t tell me…”

He turned to the spirit and asked, “Did you bring me to my own funeral?”

The spirit began to walk into the cemetery, towards the group. Victor followed. As they got closer, Victor started to be able to make out the faces of the people standing around. He started.

_ That’s Christophe. And Yuri. Also, Georgi and Mila. Is this really my funeral? So few people came… _

Christophe was standing next to the closed casket, tears streaming down his face. Julian had his arm around his shoulder, holding him comfortingly. 

Chris cried, “First, we lost Michele. Now we’ve lost Victor, too.” He started to sob into Julian’s shoulder. “What am I going to do without my best friend?”

At the mention of Michele, the woman beside Mila began to sob. Mila took her in her arms and whispered, “Sara…”

Victor said, “This  _ is  _ my funeral… But, everyone still looks so young. What could have happened to me? And did Chris say that Michele Crispino was gone? What happened to him?”

He looked at the spirit, who offered no answers.

A pair of young teenagers, a boy and a girl, stepped away from Mila and Sara. The boy had Sara’s darker complexion, as well as her violet eyes and dark hair. The girl was fairer, with blonde hair. She was weeping. The boy squeezed the girl’s hand and they approached the casket. 

Victor cocked his head slightly as he studied the pair.  _ Mila and Sara’s kids, maybe? The boy is trying to be strong, but he looks like he could break down at any moment… _

The girl reached out to touch the casket, but pulled her hand back at the last minute. She sobbed out, “Uncle Victor…”

She turned to her brother, “Oh, Michele…” She laid her head on his shoulder, her body wracked with sobbing. 

Michele took a deep breath and sighed as he said, “I know, Elena. I know. I can’t believe that he is really gone…”

He laid a hand briefly on the casket as he added, “He was like the uncle we never had…”

Michele gently lead his sister away from the casket. Victor could not help but notice that the boy had tear marks on his cheeks.

Victor sighed sadly.  _ I was important to them. But why me?  _

Yuri approached the casket and hit the closed top with his fist. “Old man, why didn’t you take better care of yourself? You were too young to die.” He hung his head and whispered, “Now I’m all alone…”

He wiped away a tear falling down his face and turned from the casket before anyone noticed.

Victor felt a tear run down his cheek. “Yuri, I’m sorry. I never noticed…”

A dark haired man was sobbing, hands covering his face. He was being comforted by another man, who looked familiar to Victor. The crying man’s voice was muffled as he said, “Phichit… Today would have been Victor’s 46th birthday…”

Phichit sighed deeply, tears trailing down his face, as said, “I know. He was so young… I know how much you admired him. I’m sorry, Yuuri.”

Victor’s breath caught.  _ Yuuri. He came. All these years later, he still came.  _

Phichit took a deep breath and said, “Come on, Yuuri. It is time to say goodbye.” 

Yuuri nodded slowly. He took Phichit’s hand. Together they approached the casket.

Yuuri stood in front of the casket. He took a deep breath. His voice was thick with tears as he quietly said, “I wish that I had had the courage to meet you. You were my idol. You were the goal I strived to reach. All I wanted was to skate on the same ice as you, and be seen as an equal.”

Tears were running down from his eyes as he choked out, “But now, it’s too late. Goodbye, Victor.”

Tears were quietly falling from Phichit eyes as he asked quietly, “Are you ready, Yuuri?” Yuuri nodded.

Christophe started when he heard the man's name. He whispered, “Yuuri…?” He called after Yuuri, “Wait, please. Are you Yuuri Katsuki?” 

Yuuri turned towards Chris and nodded. “And you’re Christophe Giacometti. It has been a long time.” 

Chris nodded as he wiped tears from his eyes. “I wish that it was under better circumstances.” More tears trickled from his eyes. He added quietly, “I still can’t believe that he is really gone. It doesn’t seem real…”

The wind picked up. Phichit shivered despite his heavy coat. His teeth chattered as he asked, “Um, do you guys want to continue this conversation somewhere warmer?”

Chris nodded. “That sounds like an excellent idea. Coffee?”

Phichit nodded in agreement. 

Victor bit back a yell as the boney hand of the spirit once again settled on his shoulder.  _ What else does it want me to see? I died… What else could possibly matter? _

The cemetery disappeared and was replaced by the brightness and warmth of a coffee shop. Chris, Julian, Phichit, and Yuuri were seated around a table. They all had a cup of steaming liquid in front of them. Yuuri was staring down at his hands, wrapped around his cup.

Victor moved closer to the table. 

Chris sighed as he asked, “What happened to you, Yuuri? You competed in the Grand Prix Final and then you just disappeared? Why? You were one of the best skaters in the world.”

Yuuri looked up in surprise. “What? Why would you say that? I lost at the Grand Prix…”

Chris interrupted him, “Which meant that on that particular day, you were the 6th best skater in the world. Perspective.”

Phichit playfully punched Yuuri in the shoulder. “See? I’m not the only one that thinks that way.” He turned to Chris and said, “Thanks. I’ve been trying to tell him that exact same thing for almost 20 years."

Yuuri sighed deeply. “Has it really been that long? It seems like it was only yesterday.”

Chris prodded gently, “So, what happened?”

Yuuri shook his head. “Looking back, it sounds silly. I thought I wasn’t good enough. That I had never been good enough.”

Phichit added. “Despite the fact that he qualified for the most exclusive competition in the world. Yuuri, I swear, you are hopeless…”

Yuuri sighed so heavily that his whole body sagged. “I know…” He looked down at the table as he continued, “After the Grand Prix Final, I went back to Japan to compete in the Nationals. It… didn’t go well. I didn’t even reach the podium. I remember that I felt like a fraud, or a failure.”

Victor’s eyes were full of tears.  _ So he couldn’t manage to get over his anxiety? Yuuri, what can I do to help? Anything? _ His mouth set into a firm line.  _ If I want to be your coach, I need to come up with something… _

Yuuri took a deep breath before he said, “I returned to Detroit, to finish college. I told Coach Celestino that I was going to retire.” He chuckled slightly. “Celestino was not happy. He tried to talk me out of it for at least a month.”

Phichit interrupted, “Well, you were still coming to the rink. I think he could tell that you still loved it, so he was just confused. We all were.”

Yuuri sighed, “I know. And I did still love it. There is a part of me that still misses it, even now.”

Chris cocked his head to the side slightly. “So you’re not involved in skating anymore? I would have thought you would have coached or something.”

Victor said quietly, “So would I…”

Yuuri shook his head. “I couldn’t even deal with my own anxiety. How could I help someone else? I would have been a terrible coach.”

Phichit used his fingers to flick Yuuri in the shoulder. “You would have been a great coach, and you know it.”

Yuuri smiled as he replied, “Maybe. But it would have hurt…” He took a drink of the hot tea sitting in front of him. 

He continued, “Before I graduated, I met someone. We… kind of had a bit of a whirlwind romance…”

Phichit grumbled, “That is an understatement. You only knew him for six months before you got married…”

Yuuri looked at his friend in surprise. “I thought you liked Greg?”

Phichit said, “I do… now…”

Chris said, “Six months isn’t very long. Julian and I were together for almost two years before we got married. And we’d been living together for over a year of that.”

Yuuri said, “I know that. And everyone told me that I was crazy. But it all turned out okay in the end.”

Yuuri pulled out his phone and scrolled through his pictures. Phichit looked over his shoulder and said, “Oh, show them that one!”

Yuuri nodded and handed the phone over to Chris. Jullian leaned over to look as well. Victor stood behind Chris to get a look.  _ Yuuri looks so happy… _

The picture was of Yuuri, a taller blonde man, and two girls, probably in their early teens. Yuuri explained. “After we got married, Greg and I decided that we wanted kids. We discussed adoption, but eventually decided that we wanted to use a surrogate. That way, they would be ours.”

He pointed at the oldest girl, with blonde hair. “The oldest one is Greg’s. Her name is Christine, named after his grandmother.” 

The younger girl had Yuuri’s darker complexion, and his black hair. “And the younger girl is mine. I named her Victoria.”

Victor suddenly felt his legs give out from under him. He landed hard, on his knees. There were tears falling from his eyes. “You named her after me?”

He turned to the spirit. “He named her after me? Why?”

Phichit smiled sadly. “You never did get over Victor completely, did you?”

Chris added, “Well, after that display at the Sochi gala, we all thought you two would end up together. Victor was crushed when you just… disappeared.”

Yuuri started. “What…?”

The scene started to fade out around Victor. He turned to the spirit and implored, “No, wait! I want to see the rest. What else happened to my friends? Tell me, please!”

The pleading fell on deaf ears as the scene faded away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you would like to know what happened to Michele, check out the other story in this collection, [Blue Christmas](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12958422). The author is my beta and she is writing a Christmas Carol inspired Emil/Michele fic. 
> 
> Here is some head canon that didn't make it into the chapter: Greg stayed home with the girls because it was Christmas. He would have gone if Phichit had not offered to go with Yuuri to the funeral. Also, Georgi got married to a nice girl and had a family. They were also at the funeral.
> 
> Chapter 6 is half done. Also, it looks like there might be 8 chapters, since I am thinking there might be an epilogue.


	6. Happy Birthday

Victor found himself back in his hotel room, still on his knees. The room was dark, but the alarm clock said that it was 6:00. Victor ran his shaking hand through his hair.  _ That was… unsettling to say the least. I need to do what I can to keep that future from coming to pass. Starting with the problem of Yuuri and his free skate. I need to find a way to contact him. _

Victor stood up and walked over to the nightstand. He unplugged his phone and went to his Instagram app.  _ Let’s see, I started following Yuuri after Sochi. When was the last time he posted…  _ Victor hissed in a breath. The last post from Yuuri was almost 6 months old. Most of the posts on his page were ones that Yuuri was tagged in, and posted by his friend Phichit.

_ Okay, I need to find another way to contact him. Maybe through Phichit?  _ He clicked on Phichit’s username and clicked on the follow button. Then he typed out a message to Phichit. ‘Hi, this is Victor Nikiforov. I’m trying to get in touch with Yuuri Katsuki. Can you please help me out?’

Victor sighed as he sent the message.  _ What time is it in Detroit? _ He checked the clock app on his phone.  _ It is about 20:00 there. He is probably awake. Hopefully he responds before long… _

_ It is 2:00 in Geneva, so calling Chris is out of the question. What to do while I wait…  _ Victor smiled.  _ I know. I’ll find a video of Yuuri’s short skate from last night. _

He opened the YouTube app on his phone and typed in ‘Yuuri Katsuki All-Japan Short Program.’ The first video on the list was last night’s program. Victor clicked on the video and braced himself for what he knew was coming.

_ He only has one quad in his short program. Let’s see, I think it was around here…  _ Even though he knew what was coming, Victor still gasped when Yuuri fell as he came out of the jump, his side hitting the ice with an audible smack.  _ Ouch, that looked painful. But Phichit was right, he had the rotations, and he got right back up. _

Victor shook his head.  _ Poor guy… Nationals should have been easy for him. He needs to get out of his own head. _

Victor jumped in surprise when his phone made an unusual sound.  _ Hmm? _ The banner that popped up said he had a new message on Instagram. His face lit up as he opened the app and saw that Phichit had responded to his message:

‘OMG! Victor Nikiforov, really?!? Of course it’s really you, you have a check mark and everything. Yuuri doesn’t really use social media much. I pretty much have to force him to post stuff. So you’re best bet is to call him. Here’s Yuuri’s number, and mine, just in case you need me.’

There were two numbers listed at the end of the message. Victor sat there, musing over what to do next.  _ What time is it in Japan? Is it too early or late to call? Should I wait? What am I even going to say to him? _

Victor checked the time in Sapporo, where the All-Japan competition was being held, and saw that it was a little after 10:00. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  _ If I don’t do it now, I might lose my nerve.  _ He tapped on the number and hit the call button. The phone started to ring.

***

Yuuri was startled out of sleep.  _ Huh? _ His phone was ringing, and it was the general ringtone he used for unknown numbers. He reached for the phone and squinted to make out the number. Under the number were the words ‘Saint Petersburg, Russia.’

_ Who could be calling me from Russia? I don’t know anyone from there.  _ He sighed.  _ Probably a telemarketer. Best tell them to take me off of whatever list I got on. _

He pushed the accept button and said, “Hai*.”

The voice on the other end asked, in accented English, “Is this Yuuri Katsuki?”

Yuuri nodded as he answered in English, “Yes. Who is this?”

The voice let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, good. I have the right number. This is Victor Nikiforov…”

Yuuri dropped the phone in shock.  _ Victor… Nikiforov…? No, it can’t be… _

He could still hear the voice talking faintly from his phone. “Hello? Yuuri? Are you there?”

Yuuri, panicked and unsure of how to handle the situation, reached out with a shaking hand and hit the end button. Then he tried to control his breathing before he spiraled into a full-blown panic attack.

***

Victor pulled the phone away from his ear when he heard the end call sound. “Did Yuuri hang up on me? Why?” Victor huffed out a breath, momentarily moving his bangs away from his face. He sat for a moment, thinking. 

“I may have surprised him. I know that he is prone to anxiety.” He sighed. “I should have thought this out better. Should I call him back?”

Victor continued, thinking out loud, “Well, he certainly won’t call me. He is much too shy for that. I’m going to have to call him back.”

He pressed the button to call the number again and held his breath.  _ Will he even answer it? Now that he knows who is on the other end? _

The phone clicked as the call was answered. Victor took a breath, but before he could speak, a voice asked softly, “Are you  _ really  _ Victor Nikiforov?”

Victor nodded as he said, “Da*.”  _ How can I prove it to him? Oh, I know! _

Victor said, “Thank you for the cuff links. They are adorable. I’ve already worn them several times.”

Yuuri stammered out, “Y… you like them? And you’ve been using them?”

Victor replied, “Of course! They look just like Makkachin!” He thought for a moment. “I wore them to the Grand Prix Final Gala, and to the press conference before the Russian Nationals. I’m sure there are pictures… if you don’t believe me.”

Victor waited a moment for Yuuri to respond. Yuuri hesitantly said, “You really  _ are _ Victor. But, why are you calling me? And how did you get my number?”

Victor chuckled as he answered, “Phichit. When I saw that you didn’t use Instagram very much, I contacted him. He gave me your number.”

Yuuri said, “Oh. That makes sense.”

Victor continued, “As for why…”  _ He isn’t ready for the whole truth. I don’t think he would ever believe me if I told him.  _ “I saw your short program.”

Yuuri groaned, “No…You saw that?”

Victor sighed slightly. “I wanted to know how your shoulder was doing today? Did you ice it last night?”

There was no sound from the other end for a moment, long enough for Victor to think the call had been dropped. “Um, Yuuri? Are you still there?”

Yuuri answered quietly, “Yes… You really called to ask about my shoulder?”

Victor, confused, replied, “Yes, partly. So, how is it? That fall looked pretty painful.”

Yuuri mumbled, “I can’t believe this… Victor Nikiforov called  _ me  _ to ask about my shoulder. Someone pinch me please.”

Victor thought,  _ there are much more pleasant ways to tell if you are awake or not… Stop it, Victor. You’ll screw this up thinking things like that. _

Yuuri said, “My shoulder is fine. I’ve taken lots of hits harder than that.”

Victor smiled and said, “Good! That means that it shouldn’t affect your free skate tomorrow. I can’t wait to watch it.”

Yuuri squeaked as he asked, “You are going to watch my program?”

Victor said, “Of course. You’re a beautiful skater, Yuuri. I’ve enjoyed watching your routines for a long time.”

Victor thought,  _ See, I know that you are a competitor. Please don’t give up. I want to keep watching you. _

Victor heard a quiet sniffle sound. “Yuuri? Are you alright?”  _ Did I make him cry? _

Yuuri sniffed quietly before he said, “I can’t believe this. This has to be a dream. I’ve looked up to you for forever. I would have never in my wildest dreams ever thought that I would be talking to you like this…

“All I have ever wanted was for you to see me as an equal.”

Victor said softly, “I do see you as an equal, Yuuri. Your skating is much more expressive than mine. If you had the consistency in your jumps that I have, you would beat me.”

Yuuri sniffled, “No, I could never beat you!”

Victor shook his head. “If you could land all of your quads, I bet that you could. You have two quads in your free skate, yes? Promise that you will land them, for me.”

Yuuri laughed as he replied, “Okay. I can’t say no to you, Victor.”

Victor said, “Remember, I’ll be watching tomorrow. You have my number now; call me after you win the gold.”

Victor could hear the smile in Yuuri’s voice as he said, “I will. Thank you for calling, Victor. I… think that this was just what I needed.” He paused for a moment before adding, “Oh, and Victor?”

Victor asked, “Hmm?”

Yuuri said brightly, “Happy birthday.”

Victor teared up.  _ He was the first one to wish me happy birthday… _

He cleared his throat before answering, “Spasibo*. Thank you. Good luck tomorrow, Yuuri.”

Yuuri replied, “You too, Victor.”

“Poka*, Yuuri.”

“Sayōnara*, Victor.”

Victor took the phone from his ear and hit the end call button.  _ I don’t know if that will be enough to change the future, but it is all that I can do for now. The rest is up to Yuuri. _

_ *** _

Victor was too wound up to even contemplate going back to sleep. His thoughts buzzed around in his head.  _ There is so much I want to do. Should I do some big, grand gesture? Would that scare him off? Maybe I should ask his friend, Phichit. I bet he would be happy to help me. I’ll have to wait until tonight, because if he isn’t talking to Yuuri, he might be asleep.  _

Victor chuckled as he checked his hair in the mirror.  _ I bet he is still talking to Yuuri. No doubt he called Phichit just as soon as I got off the phone with him. _

Victor checked the time as he zipped up his Team Russia jacket.  _ It is only 7:30. I don’t have to be at practice until 9:00. But, could jog to the rink and do some figures before practice.  _ He sighed.  _ Even though I’ve always pretended to hate doing figures, they are calming. I could use the time to think… _

Victor grabbed his gear bag and shouldered it. He checked his pockets for his phone and wallet before he unlocked and opened the hotel room door. He took a deep breath and exhaled with a smile.

_ Today is going to be a great day… _

***

Victor was practicing figures, enjoying the fresh ice and the quiet. He let his mind wander as he went through the forms that he had practiced since he was a small child.  _ I want to help Yuuri remember the gala. I like him… maybe more? Mama said that this was my chance at happiness. Is Yuuri my happiness? _

His thoughts were interrupted by a bellowing voice, “Who is on the ice? It’s reserved for Coach Feltsman!”

Victor smiled as he skated to the side. “Relax, Yakov. It’s me.”

Yakov, surprised, said, “Vitya? What are you doing here so early? Are you feeling well?”

Victor sighed.  _ I guess it is out of the ordinary for me to be early.  _ He grinned as he replied, “Yes, I’m fine. I just wanted to get a little practice in before everyone else got here.”

Yakov studied the ice. “Figures? You only do those when I make you. Vitya, what is wrong with you today?”

Victor shook his head. “Nothing. I feel better than I have in a long time.” He paused for a moment. “But… there is something that I wanted to talk to you about. I want to change my exhibition skate.”

Yakov eyed Victor in disbelief. “It is unlike you to want to change your programs mid-season. And you don’t have time to prepare a new program before the exhibition. Not up to your standards.”

Victor’s eyes were bright as he quietly said, “I don’t want to do a new program. Yakov, I think I’m ready to use it. I’m ready to perform  _ Waltz of the Flowers _ .”

Yakov’s eyes went wide. “You’ve been practicing that routine for years. Why now?”

Victor looked up at the ceiling as he answered, “I think… I’ve finally come to terms.” A single tear traveled down Victor’s cheek.  _ I’m finally ready to let go of all of this pain. I’ll skate it away, so that I can move forward. They would want that. _

Yakov nodded approvingly. “Okay, Vitya. I’ll get the music ready. We’ll run through it today after you practice your free skate program.”

Victor nodded.

Yakov added, “It seems that you are warmed up, so run your free skate. Mark the jumps for right now; you can practice them later. I don’t want you hurting yourself before tomorrow. Oh, and happy birthday, Vitya.”

Victor smiled widely, “Thank you, Yakov.”

Victor turned to take the starting position for  _ Stammi Vicino _ . He thought  _ I have run this routine so many times. I don’t need the music anymore.  _ He let himself get lost in the routine, barely thinking as he ran through the different elements, marking where the jumps would be. Victor paused in the final pose for a moment before he looked over to Yakov. He had been joined by Mila during Victor’s run through.

Mila grinned as she removed her skate guards and stepped out on the ice. “Good morning, Victor.”

Mila approached Victor, talking as she skated closer. “Your program looks good for tomorrow.” She stopped right beside Victor and said, “Oh, and I wanted to tell you something. Happy birthday!”

As she said it, Mila reached out and tugged on both of Victor’s ears. He yelped in surprise. “Mila! What the…?”

Victor skated away from Mila as she chased after him. Mila said, “Come on, Victor. I only got two in. You still need 25 more…”

Victor laughed as he retorted, “There is no way that I’m going to let you pull on my ears 27 times. You will have to catch me first.”

While Mila was busy chasing Victor, Georgi walked in to the rink. He stopped next to Yakov. Georgi asked, “What are they doing?”

Yakov sighed as he grumbled out, “Mila is chasing Victor. She is trying to pull his ears.”

Georgi said, “Oh. It’s Victor’s birthday, isn’t it. I feel bad that I always seem to forget it, especially since mine is tomorrow…”

Georgi smiled slightly as he watched the two race around the rink like children. He looked at Yakov and asked, “Aren’t you going to tell them to stop?”

Yakov’s lips quirked up in a slight smile. “No, I think I will let them have their fun for a bit longer. Mila needed to warm up anyway.” The smile grew as Yakov added quietly, “And it has been a long time since I have seen Victor smile like this.”

Georgi looked again and noticed that Victor was grinning widely, his eyes sparkling as he laughed. Georgi smiled as he leaned against the barrier. “You’re right, he does look happy. Maybe the happiest that I’ve ever seen him. I wonder… what changed?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations (I don't speak Russian or Japanese, so please excuse any mistakes):
> 
> Japanese: Hai = Yes, Sayōnara= Goodbye  
> Russian: Da = Yes, Spasibo = Thank You, Poka = Goodbye
> 
> It is a big deal in Russian culture, from what I read, to be the first person to tell someone happy birthday. But you are only supposed to do it on their birthday, not before. It is considered bad luck to tell someone happy birthday early, or to celebrate it early. That is why Victor got all choked up when Yuuri wished him happy birthday first.
> 
> Also, the chapter count has been changed to 8. There is going to be an epilogue.


	7. Surprise!

Later That Evening

Victor was curled up in the loveseat, covered up in his blanket. He was concentrating on the book in his hand, while classical music played softly off of his phone. Suddenly, the phone rang, startling Victor with the sudden loud noise.

He glared at the offending device as he picked it up from the end table. _Ah, it’s Chris. It has been such a busy day that I had forgotten that he had not called yet._

Victor put the phone on speaker and said cheerfully, “Hello, Chris.”

Chris answered, “Happy birthday, Victor! How was your day?”

Victor smiled widely. “It was the best birthday I’ve had in a long time.”

Chris asked, “Really? What happened?”

Victor replied, “Well, to start with, I got to talk to Yuuri Katsuki this morning. He was the first person to wish me happy birthday.”

Chris said, “Oh, really? I’m guessing that you called him? Why?”

Victor sighed. “Well, it seems that his bad luck from the Grand Prix Final followed him to his Nationals. He fell during his short program last night.”

Chris went silent for a moment while he processed what Victor told him. _Surely not… It was only a dream, right?_

Hesitantly and quietly, Chris said, “He fell on his quad, didn’t he?”

Victor, confused, replied, “Yes, how did you guess?”

Chris sighed. “This is going to sound crazy, but... I dreamed it, last night.”

Victor gasped. “You dreamed it? So you saw it, too?”

Chris mumbled out a sound of affirmation. “It was real, then?”

Victor let out a soft sigh. “As far as I can tell. But the present has already been changed.” _Does that mean that I can change the future, too?_

Chris asked, “I wasn’t the only guide you had last night, was I?”

Victor shook his head as he said, “No, just like in the story, there were three spirits. The second one looked like you.”

Chris asked tentatively, “The past showed you _that_ birthday, didn’t it? That was why you were a mess when I got there.”

Victor said, “Yes, it did.” He stopped for a moment, lost in thought. _Wait, if Chris remembers his part, that means Yuri will remember the past. That is why he got Mila to pull my ears._ Victor sighed. _I will need to talk to him when I get back to Saint Petersburg._

Chris asked, “Victor? Are you okay?”

Victor answered, “Yes, sorry. I was just thinking about something.”

Chris said, “So, past and present. Did you get a glimpse of the future as well?”

Victor nodded. “Yes, and the first thing that needs my attention is Yuuri. If nothing is done, he’s going to miss the podium at his Nationals. Chris, he’s going to quit skating.”

Chris yelled, “What!”

Victor could feel tears starting to form in his eyes at the thought. “I know. So I had to call. I had to try.” Victor wiped his eyes as he said, “I just hope that it will be enough.”

Chris sighed deeply. “There is nothing more that you _can_ do right now. You have your own Nationals to worry about.”

Victor ran his hand through his hair as he took a deep breath and sighed. “I know.”

_But I can’t help but worry. Please, let it have been enough…_

_***_  
December 26th

Victor sighed as he paced the length of the hotel room. _It is only 7:00. My free skate isn’t until 18:00. I’m not worried about my performance, but…_

Victor stopped in the middle of the room and rested his chin on his hand. _Yuuri has his free skate today as well. He also performs at 18:00, which makes it 14:00 my time. I wonder if I can watch it live?_

Victor groaned in frustration. _That is 7 hours away! I don’t even have practice for another 2 hours. What am I supposed to do until then?_

Victor pulled his phone out of his pants pocket. He walked over to the bed and flopped onto it. Victor opened the Instagram app and saw that he had a new message. _Oh, it’s from Phichit. I wonder what he had to say._

He clicked on the message. It said, ‘WOW! I can’t believe that you really called Yuuri! You have no idea what that meant to him. He went on and on about your call. Thanks!’

 _Hmm… I still want to do something for Yuuri. I’ll call Phichit and ask him._ He checked the time on his clock app. _It’s currently 21:00 in Detroit. He is probably still awake._

Victor clicked on Phichit’s number and hit the call button. _Hopefully he answers…_

The call connected and an energetic but unfamiliarly accented voice asked, “Hello?”

Victor asked, “Yes, is this Phichit Chulanont?”

The voice said, “Yes, who’s this?”

Victor said, “Oh, sorry. This is Victor Nikiforov.”

Phichit yelled over the phone, “VICTOR!?!”

Victor laughed as he held the phone away from his ear. He tapped the speaker button. _I guess that is why Yuuri talks to him on speaker._

Victor, still laughing, managed to say, “You’re on speaker now, but there is no one else here.”

Phichit, calmer now, replied, “Okay… But seriously, why is THE Victor Nikiforov calling me?”

Victor rubbed the back of his neck as he said, “Well, I was thinking about doing something nice for Yuuri. And since you are his best friend, and you know him better than anyone, I thought you might have a suggestion?”

Phichit squealed over the phone. “Oh, this is great! Yuuri is going to totally flip out!”

Victor chuckled. “I take it that you have an idea?”

Phichit asked, “Victor, what are you doing after your Nationals are done?”

Victor shrugged. “Usually Coach Yakov gives us all a little time off. Most of us go to spend New Year’s and Christmas with our families, and don’t return to the rink until January 8th or 9th. I usually just stay in Saint Petersburg. Why?”

Phichit laughed conspiringly. “How would you feel about making a trip to Detroit?”

Victor’s eyes went wide. “Oh, that’s a great idea! Should we tell him I’m coming? Or make it a surprise?”

Phichit’s smile could be heard in his voice as he replied, “It _has_ to be a surprise, if there is any way that we can manage it. When could you fly in?”

Victor said, “Well, the Nationals are over on the 27th, so I could fly out on the 28th. That would get me in Detroit on the 29th, right?”

Phichit gasped. “I just had the _best_ idea! What if you surprised him on New Year’s Eve? I could convince him to stay in, and you could just show up at the apartment!”

Victor grinned. “I love it! I can lay low in a hotel for a day or two... Wait! What if I took an extended layover in Tokyo? That would get me into Detroit on the 30th. And I could buy Yuuri some gifts from home.”

Phichit said, “I like the way you think. I’ll send you a list of things Yuuri is always saying he misses when he is here. I bet he didn’t buy hardly anything this time.”

Victor was grinning so widely that his cheeks hurt. “This is a great plan, Phichit. Thanks.”

Phichit laughed, “Let ‘Operation New Year’s Surprise’ commence!”

***  
Detroit, Michigan  
December 31st

Victor stretched as he reached over to turn off the alarm blaring from his phone. He yawned deeply as he sat up on the large hotel bed. Victor rubbed his eyes and tried to focus in the dim room. _I still feel a bit jet lagged._ Victor yawned again. _I hate these long trans-Pacific flights. They are so exhausting…_

His reverie was broken by the sound of his phone ringing. Victor picked up his phone and looked to see that the call was from Christophe. He smiled as he answered the call.

Victor said drowsily, “Good morning, Chris.”

Chris sighed, “I’m sorry, Victor. Did I wake you? I thought it was 10:00 there…?”

Victor stifled another yawn as he replied, “It is. But you know that the jet lag is awful when you have to travel this far.”

Chris asked, “I thought that was why you stopped in Tokyo?”

Victor chuckled, “You know why I stopped. It is all part of what Phichit has dubbed ‘Operation New Year’s Surprise’.”

Victor chuckled to himself, causing Chris to say, “Hmm? What’s funny?”

Victor answered, “Oh, I was just thinking about the box of things that arrived from Japan shortly after I arrived yesterday. You don’t think I bought too much, do you?”

Chris laughed as he said, “He’s in college, and he has a roommate. I’m sure, between the two of them, they can manage.”

Victor grinned as he said, “That’s true. And most of what I bought was food.”

Chris asked, “Did you really buy that kimono that you sent me a picture of? Don’t get me wrong, it looked great on you. But those things are complicated to get on.”

Victor replied, “Yes, I bought it. And I really like how the blue of the fabric brings out my eyes.” Chris made a small sound of agreement.

Victor continued, “Kimonos are traditional clothing for New Year’s in Japan. But I can’t get it on by myself. Phichit is coming by this afternoon to help me. Then I’ll get ready to go surprise Yuuri.”

Chris said, “Victor, I hope you know that this whole idea is crazy.” He paused for a moment before adding, “I approve.”

Victor laughed as he said, “Thank you.” He stopped laughing to say, “I just don’t think that I could wait until the World Championships to see him, Chris.”

Chris sighed, “I know. But at least he is going to the Worlds. I don’t know what you told him, but it must have worked.”

Victor replied, “Yes, thank goodness. I’m not sure how, but it worked.”

Chris chuckled, “Let’s hope that this works as well. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble for this seduction, Victor. I hope he is worth it.”

Victor smiled, “I think he will be.”

***  
Later That Afternoon

Victor heard a knock at the door. He unchained the door and opened it to find Phichit standing in the hall. Phichit excitedly said, “Victor! I can’t believe that you actually came!”

Victor put a finger to his lips and said, “Shh. I don’t want to ruin the surprise. If word got out that I was in Detroit…”

Phichit mumbled, “Oh, yeah. Sorry. I got a little excited.”

Victor moved out of the doorway, back into the room. He motioned for Phichit to follow him. He looked back over his shoulder as he said, “Thank you for coming this afternoon. I couldn’t get this thing on by myself.” Victor moved towards the bed, where a deep blue kimono was laid out.

Phichit said, “Think nothing of it. I should be thanking you.” He smiled broadly. “First, you called my best friend out of the blue and managed to give him a pep talk good enough to pull him out of the funk he’s been in since…”

Phichit’s voice trailed off. _I almost told Victor about Vicchan. That is not my story to tell. Yuuri will tell him if he wants him to know._

Phichit hesitated before he continued, “...um, since the Grand Prix Final. Then, you fly halfway across the world, literally, to come see him. Why?”

Victor put his finger on his chin as he thought. _He would never believe the truth, even if I told him. Maybe a half truth?_

Victor held up his finger as he said, “It’s simple. Yuuri swept me off my feet at the Grand Prix Final Gala.”

Phichit eyes went wide in disbelief. “Really? What did he do? I don’t think I told you this yet, but Yuuri doesn’t remember the Gala. He was really drunk.”

Victor winked mischievously. “I remember. And I have pictures.”

Phichit chuckled, “Oh, I have to see those.”

Victor laughed as he nodded. “You will. But Yuuri gets to see them first.”

Phichit sighed in defeat. “That’s fair.”

Phichit walked over to the bed and reached out to touch the kimono laying there. He carefully fingered the fabric as he said, “When you do something, you go all out, don’t you?”

Victor smiled brightly. “I just couldn’t help myself! I read that kimonos are traditional for New Year celebrations in Japan. And wait until you see how it looks on.”

Phichit sighed. _It’s now or never. I have to know…_

“What exactly are your intentions with my best friend, Mr. Nikiforov?”

Victor looked at Phichit in confusion. “What?”

Phichit took a deep breath and let it out. “What is it that you want from Yuuri? He’s my best friend, so it’s my job to look out for him. And if you hurt him…”

Victor held up his hands. “I would never hurt Yuuri. I really like him. And I want to see where this might go.”

Victor smiled softly. _He might just be my chance at happiness._

Phichit nodded, satisfied. “I believe you.” _I’m not sure what Yuuri did to get Victor’s attention, but it must have been impressive. Something tells me that this could be good for Yuuri._

Phichit turned his attention back to Victor. He picked up the kimono still draped across the bed and held it out. “Are you ready?”

Victor nodded. “Yes, let’s get to it.”

Victor accepted the kimono from Phichit and walked into the bathroom. As he turned to close the door, he said, “I’ll just be a minute. Thanks again, Phichit. I owe you.”

As the door closed behind Victor, Phichit whispered quietly, “No, I think it is the other way around. I definitely owe you. But please, Victor, don’t break his heart…”

***  
Later That Evening

Yuuri and Phichit were settled on the couch, wrapped up in warm blankets. The tv was playing a British comedy show. Yuuri sighed.

He turned his head towards Phichit and asked, “I thought you were going to find a party for us to go to tonight?”

Phichit shrugged. “I thought that, since you just got back from Japan, you might rather stay in. I bet Ciao Ciao will work us both like dogs tomorrow. You know, since school is out and we both have the Four Continents to prepare for.”

Yuuri nodded. “You’re right, we should probably just stay in. Maybe I’ll even go to bed before midnight.”

Yuuri sighed. _It’s not like I have a reason to stay up anyway._

The doorbell rang, causing the boys to jump in surprise. Yuuri looked at Phichit and asked, “Were you expecting someone?”

Phichit shook his head. “No, and I guess that means that you weren’t either?”

Yuuri shook his head as he untangled himself from his blanket, sighing as he stood up. “No, I’m not. I’ll get it.”

He walked across the room towards the door and peeked out the peephole. “Um, Phichit, were you expecting a package?”

Phichit sighed as he extracted himself from his blanket. He rose from the couch and followed Yuuri to the door. “No, why?”

Yuuri answered, “Because there is a _really_ big box sitting in front of the door…”

Phichit asked, “How big…”

Yuuri removed the security chain from the door and opened it to reveal a box that came up to his chest. He choked out, “This big…”

Phichit asked, “Does it say anything on it?”

Yuuri looked on the box for any writing. There was a label with his name on it. “It’s addressed to me… But who would have…” He searched the box for more clues. “Hmm, oh! This says ‘From Russia With Love’...”

Phichit whistled. “Mysterious! Yuuri… what did you order?” He got a wicked glint in his eye as he asked, “Did you order a Victor doll? A life-size one?” Phichit waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Yuuri choked and began to cough. “A… a what!?!”

Phichit laughed. “I’m just kidding. Come on, let’s get this box inside so that we can open it.”

Yuuri slid past the box into the hallway. “It is much too big for us to pick up. I’ll push it from behind. Just make sure I don’t run into anything, okay?”

Yuuri pushed the box, sliding it slowly into the apartment. He grunted with effort as the box inched forward. “Ug, it’s so heavy.”

Phichit moved out of the way as Yuuri pushed the box through the doorway. “Just a little bit farther, and you’ll clear the door. Need some help?”

Yuuri grunted out, “No, I’ve got it…”

Phichit closed the door behind Yuuri as he pushed the box clear. Yuuri sighed in relief. “I can’t imagine what could possibly be in here… it weighs a ton!”

Phichit smiled as he said excitedly, “Why don’t you open it and see what it is?”

Yuuri shrugged. “I guess it couldn’t hurt…”

He reached out to peel back the top flaps of the box, but before he could, it opened from the inside. A familiar silver haired man popped out of the box with a heart shaped grin on his face. “Surprise!”

Yuuri’s eyes were wide in shock. His brain couldn’t process the scene in front of him. He croaked out, “Vic… tor…?”

Almost before the words left his lips, Yuuri’s eyes rolled back into his head. Yuuri crumpled to the ground, out cold.

Victor looked at Phichit. They both looked down at the passed out Yuuri, and then back at each other.

Phichit sighed and said, “Well, I guess we managed to surprise him?” He smiled weakly.

Victor ran his hand nervously through his hair. “It seems that way?” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Now what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the end, people! At this point, there is definitely going to be a Chapter 8, and even possibly a Chapter 9 Epilogue. It turns out there was more to this story than I originally thought.


	8. Happy New Year

Ten Minutes Prior

Victor was sitting inside of a large box, trying to control himself and stay silent. _If I make any noise, it will give the game away. Even Phichit doesn’t know about this part of the plan…_

He heard the delivery man ring the doorbell and quickly walk away. A minute or two passed before Victor heard the door open and a voice say, “This big…”

Victor covered his mouth with his hand to avoid laughing. _Stop it! You’ll give yourself away!_

He heard a second voice ask, “Does it say anything on it?”

The first voice said, “ “It’s addressed to me… But who would have…”

_So that voice belongs to Yuuri._

Victor heard Yuuri say, “Hmm, oh! This says ‘From Russia With Love’...”

Victor rolled his eyes. _I can’t believe I used that cheesy line. Why couldn’t I come up with something better than that?_

The second person, which had to be Phichit, whistled before saying, “Mysterious! Yuuri… what did you order? Did you order a Victor doll? A life-size one?”

Victor nearly choked as he clamped both hands over his mouth. _Is he suggesting what I think he is?_ Tears were forming in his eyes as he struggled not to laugh.

Victor heard Yuuri begin to cough. “A… a what!?!”

Phichit laughed. “I’m just kidding. Come on, let’s get this box inside so that we can open it.”

Victor felt the box move slightly, and then Yuuri’s voice came from behind him. “It is much too big for us to pick up. I’ll push it from behind. Just make sure I don’t run into anything, okay?”

Victor nodded to himself. _It would probably hurt both of us if he ran into something._

Victor jerked forward slightly as the box began to scoot forward. Behind him, Yuuri grunted before he said, “Ug, it’s so heavy.”

Victor frowned and huffed silently. _I am_ **_not_ ** _heavy…_

He could feel the box moving slowly forward. Victor resisted the urge to lean backwards, where he knew Yuuri’s hands were placed against the box. _We’re so close now, and he has no idea…_

From somewhere in front of him, Victor could hear Phichit say, “Just a little bit farther, and you’ll clear the door. Need some help?”

Yuuri grunted out, “No, I’ve got it…”

Victor heard the door shut as the box came to a stop. _I must be inside the apartment now._ He smiled. _I can’t wait to see the look on Yuuri’s face when he finds out that I’m in here._

He heard Yuuri sigh in relief. “I can’t imagine what could possibly be in here… it weighs a ton!”

Victor barely managed to hold back an indignant sound of protest. _I most assuredly do_ **_not_ ** _weigh a ton! I am an athlete, after all!_

Phichit said excitedly, “Why don’t you open it and see what it is?”

Yuuri replied. “I guess it couldn’t hurt…”

Victor took a deep breath. He used his hands to push back the flaps of the box as he stood. As soon as he was clear of the box, he looked straight at Yuuri and shouted, “Surprise!”

Yuuri eyes were wide. The expression on his face was a mixture of confusion and shock. Slowly, he asked, “Vic… tor…?”

Then Victor watched as Yuuri’s eyes rolled back in his head. Victor helplessly reached out to him as Yuuri crumpled to the ground, out cold.

Victor looked at Phichit. They both looked down at the passed out Yuuri, and then back at each other.

Phichit sighed and said, “Well, I guess we managed to surprise him?” He smiled weakly.

Victor ran his hand nervously through his hair. “It seems that way?” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Now what?”

Phichit shrugged. “He’s not bleeding, so he’ll probably come to in a few minutes. I’ll go get a damp cloth for his forehead. Would you mind grabbing a pillow off the couch? We should lay him out more comfortably.”

Victor nodded as he began to climb out of the box. _Thank God, he should be alright…_

_***_

The first thing that Yuuri was aware of was pain. He groaned, causing the pain in his head to intensify. _What happened? Did I pass out? It feels like I hit my head…_

Yuuri heard Phichit’s voice. It sounded muffled, like he was surrounded by cotton. “I think he might be coming to.”

_Who is Phichit talking to? Weren’t we here alone? Everything is fuzzy, I can’t seem to remember what happened…_

Yuuri brought his hand to his head and felt a cool, damp cloth on his forehead. _I guess I did pass out. Great. Now I can add fainting to my resumé…_

Yuuri took a sharp breath in as his memory rushed back. _The box… I thought I saw… No._

Yuuri sighed deeply, his eyes still closed tightly. _I thought I saw Victor Nikiforov. In a kimono, no less. But that’s impossible…_

_… He would never be interested in someone like me…_

Yuuri’s head was resting on something soft. _Phichit must have gotten a pillow for me._

Another voice, coming from above Yuuri’s head, said, “Yuuri, are you okay?”

Yuuri went stiff. _I know that voice… I would recognize it anywhere. But… how…?_

Yuuri cracked his eyes slowly open and drowsily looked up into Victor’s concerned face. Victor smiled brightly as he said, “Oh, good! You’re finally awake!”

Disoriented, and still a little dazed, Yuuri asked, “Victor? How? Why?”

Yuuri blushed furiously as he came to the sudden realization that his head was pillowed on Victor’s lap. _Oh, God, this can’t be real, can it? Did I hit my head harder than I thought?_

Victor smiled softly. _Wow, he’s even cuter than I remembered. And… is he blushing? How adorable!_

Yuuri struggled to rise to a sitting position, but a gentle yet firm hand on his chest stopped him. He looked up at Victor, who gently shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea yet. Just stay there for a while longer. Okay, Yuuri?”

Yuuri’s blush intensified as he took a deep, shaky breath. He nodded in agreement and immediately winced. _Oh, that was a bad idea. Ug, my head…_

Victor frowned at the look of pain that crossed Yuuri’s face. _He went down pretty hard. Did he hurt himself?_

Somehow resisting the urge to gently brush the hair out of Yuuri’s face, Victor asked gently, “Does your head hurt?”

Yuuri closed his eyes in frustration. _I’m usually better at hiding my pain than this. But my head feels like it’s going to split in two, and I guess it shows…_ Yuuri mumbled out quietly, “Yes…”

Victor looked over to where Phichit was sitting and said, “Do you have any ibuprofen?”

Phichit nodded as he stood. “Yes, there is some in the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

Victor looked down at Yuuri and said softly, “I’m going to help you sit up, slowly. Just long enough to take the medicine Phichit is bringing for you. Then, if you feel sick or dizzy, you can lie down again, okay?”

Yuuri nearly nodded, but caught himself at the last moment. His voice was shaky as he answered, “Okay…”

Victor placed one hand on Yuuri’s back, and took one of Yuuri’s hands in the other. “Okay, on the count of three. Ready?”

Yuuri took a deep breath before saying. “I think so.”

Victor nodded, “Okay, nice and slow. One, two, three.” Victor gently pushed up on Yuuri’s back as Yuuri slowly sat up.

Yuuri moaned as he brought a hand up to his head. _The room is spinning. I feel like I’m going to be sick. Oh, God, please… I already passed out in front of him. Please don’t let me be sick too…_

Tears formed in Yuuri’s eyes and his cheeks burned in shame and embarrassment. _Why? Why is he here? What does he think he sees in me? I’m just a dime-a-dozen skater. He’s…_ **_Victor_ ** _…_

Victor supported Yuuri with one hand on his back. When he saw the sick expression on his face and the tears in his eyes, Victor, concerned, asked, “Are you okay, Yuuri?”

The tears in Yuuri’s eyes threatened to fall as he forced out his answer, “No…”

Phichit walked back into the room, carrying a glass of water and some pills. He stopped dead when he caught sight of Yuuri. “Yuuri, you are as white as a ghost. Are you okay? Do we need to get you to the hospital?”

Phichit knelt down next to Yuuri and handed him the pills. Yuuri dutifully took the pills and drank the water to help them down. Yuuri said, “I don’t think so. But, I don’t feel so good. I… need to lie down…”

Victor nodded understandingly. “Okay.” Victor used his hand to pat his lap invitingly.

Yuuri’s cheeks burned as he allowed himself to be lowered back down into Victor’s lap. He sighed as the world slowly righted itself, no longer spinning wildly around him. _I still can’t believe this is happening… I mean, I wanted to meet him for so long, but not like this…_ Tears began to slowly trickle down his cheeks.

Victor looked down at Yuuri and stiffened in surprise. _He’s crying… Why is he crying? What do I do?_

Hesitantly, Victor asked, “Are you okay, Yuuri? Do you need something? Or do we need to go to the hospital after all?”

Yuuri scrubbed his arm across his eyes in a vain effort to dash away his tears. He sobbed out, “Victor, why are you here?”

Victor hesitated for a moment. _He doesn’t remember the Gala. I don’t know if he even wants me here._ Victor sighed heavily. _All I have managed to do is cause him pain since I got here._ “I’m sorry, Yuuri. I just wanted to see you. I didn’t mean to cause you any pain. Maybe I should just go.”

Yuuri’s eyes went wide. His heart felt like it was going to be torn in two. _I can’t let him leave. Not like this. I may never get another chance…_ He reached up and grasped Victor’s arm.

“Please, stay.”

Victor smiled as he replied, “As you wish.”

***

Victor looked down at Yuuri. _He had gone quiet, I’m not surprised at all that he fell asleep. I’ve been in his shoes before. All you want to do when your head hurts as bad as his must, is sleep._

Phichit sighed. He asked softly, “Can you watch him for a bit? I need to take care of something.”

Victor nodded. Phichit stood up and stretched his arms over his head. He whispered, “I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

Victor whispered, “Okay. I’ll text you if I need something.”

Phichit nodded as he made his way out of the living room and into his bedroom. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it. _It is only 9, so it is not too late to call Ciao Ciao. He needs to know what happened, and the sooner the better._

Phichit hit the call button. The phone barely rang at all before Coach Celestino answered, “Phichit, it is a little late. I’m not letting you out of practice tomorrow just because you plan on partying tonight. I already told you that.”

Phichit took a deep breath and said, “I’m not calling about me, Coach. It’s Yuuri.”

Celestino, his voice tinged with concern, asked, “What happened?”

Phichit said, “Well, he hit his head. Hard. I think he has a concussion, but just a mild one. He doesn’t want to go to the hospital. We’re keeping an eye on him, and if he gets worse, we’ll make him go.”

Celestino shouted, “ _What!_ How did he hit his head?!?”

Phichit muttered, “He hit it when he passed out earlier…”

Celestino sighed, “He passed out? Don’t you think that you should have _lead_ with that? _Why_ did Yuuri pass out?”

Phichit said quietly, “Umm, maybe because his idol jumped out of a box and surprised him?”

Celestino groaned, “You’re telling me that Victor Nikiforov jumped out of a box, causing Yuuri to pass out and hit his head on the way down. Is that right?”

Phichit squeaked out, “Yes, Coach.”

Celestino asked, “And is Victor still in your apartment?”

Phichit quietly said, “Yes, Coach. He’s watching Yuuri right now.”

Celestino mumbled, “I guess those rumors I heard about the Sochi Gala were true. I wouldn’t have thought that Yuuri would have done that…”

Phichit perked up, “What rumors?”

Celestino let out a gruff chuckle. “Oh, no. You’re not hearing it from me. Suffice it to say, that according to the rumors, Victor had plenty of motivation to come see Yuuri.”

Phichit huffed, disappointed. _No one will tell me what happened at the Gala. Either it was something really good, or really bad. I guess I’ll just have to wait, and hopefully Victor will tell me, like he promised._

Celestino continued, “You said that Victor is watching Yuuri right now? He knows what to do with a head injury, I presume?”

Phichit sighed, “Coach, we have all had head injuries. It comes with the territory. I’m sure Victor knows what he is doing. He was planning to wake Yuuri every once in a while, to be on the safe side.”

Celestino said, “Good. If he gets any worse, take him to the hospital. Whether he wants to go or not.”Phichit replied, “I know, Coach. I’ve nursed Yuuri’s head injuries before, remember? And last time I got him to the hospital while he tried to fight me about it. There’s two of us this time, I promise we’ll manage.”

Celestino said, “Good. I don’t want to see Yuuri at the rink for at least three days. We need to let his head heal, and let him get his balance back. He can’t come back until he’s been headache free for at least 24 hours. Got it?”

Phichit nodded as he said, “Yes, Coach. I’ll tell him when he wakes up.”

Celestino added, “Oh, and Phichit? Tell Victor that I said have a good time, but try not to injure my skater any more, okay?”

Phichit laughed, “Okay, Coach. I’ll tell him.”

Phichit hit the end call button. _Well, that went better than I thought it would. And on the up side, Yuuri will have the perfect excuse to spend time with Victor. He’s only going to be here for a week..._

***

Phichit wandered back into the living room a few hours later. He noticed that Yuuri was sleeping peacefully, his head still pillowed on Victor’s lap. Victor was very gently running his fingers through Yuuri’s hair, his full attention on the sleeping figure. Phichit smiled softly at the scene.

Phichit quietly walked over to Victor and knelt down next to him. He whispered, “How’s he doing?”

Victor whispered back, “He’s been sleeping off and on. The last time I woke him, about an hour ago, he seemed more coherent. He is probably mildly concussed.”

Phichit nodded. “I think so, too. I already called Coach Celestino and told him. He wasn’t happy, but Yuuri has a few days off to recover. How long are you staying, Victor?”

Victor asked, “Tonight?” Phichit nodded in response.

Victor shrugged. “Well, the original plan was to stay here until after midnight, and then return to my hotel tonight.” He plucked at his kimono with his free hand. “While this isn’t terribly uncomfortable, I wasn’t planning on sleeping in it. And I doubt that either of you have any clothes that would fit me.”

Phichit nodded, “True. You said originally. What are you planning to do now?”

Victor replied, “I’m the reason that Yuuri passed out and hit his head. I’m taking responsibility. I’ll sit up with him, and wake him every other hour, until we know that he’ll be okay.”

Phichit said, “You don’t have to do that. We could always move him to the couch, and I could set my phone to wake me so that I could check on him. You could still go back to the hotel and come back in the morning.”

Victor asked, “And have Yuuri wake tomorrow, with me gone? He would think he dreamed the whole thing, that it was just a hallucination caused by the blow to his head.” Victor shook his head vehemently, “No, I can’t let that happen.”

Phichit chuckled softly. “Are you sure that you’ve only known Yuuri for a few days? Because that is exactly what he would think. And you’re right, it is why you should stay. But are you sure that you don’t want to move to the couch or something? It would be more comfortable…”

Victor looked down at Yuuri, brushing his fingers through the silky strands of his dark hair. “Hmm, no. I think I’m okay right here.”

Phichit smiled. “I had a feeling you might say that.”

Phichit glanced at the screen of his phone. He said, “It’s already after midnight. I’m sorry that your New Year’s Eve didn’t exactly go as planned.”

Victor shrugged. “I maybe shouldn’t have hidden in a box? Maybe I should have just come to the door?”

Phichit sighed. “I’m not sure it would have made a lot of difference, honestly. But I really would have never thought that Yuuri would react like that…”

Victor shook his head. “There was no way for you to know. And it is really okay. I only wish that Yuuri had not hurt himself. It would have been a perfect night, besides that.”

Phichit smiled, “Yes, it would have been. It is a shame that you guys won’t get your New Year’s kiss…” He sighed as he added, “Happy New Year, Victor.”

Victor smiled. “Happy New Year, Phichit.” He leaned over and kissed Yuuri gently on the forehead. “Happy New Year, Yuuri.”

Victor thought, _As long as I have a chance to be with Yuuri, I think it will be. I have a feeling that this will be the first of many happy years to come…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was definitely not the way that I thought this chapter would turn out. Originally, Victor was going to get his New Year's kiss. But, that was before I decided that Yuuri's anxiety might cause him to pass out when Victor _jumped out of a freakin' box..._
> 
> We're almost to the end. The chapter count has gone up to nine, to include a short epilogue. Hopefully it will be up quickly. Then, I will be going back to my other WIPs.


	9. New Year's Promise

New Year’s Day 

Victor allowed his mind to wander as he waited for the elevator to reach the fourth floor. His fingers tapped impatiently on the handle of his carry on bag.

_ Yuuri woke up about two hours ago. Once I was sure he was awake, and Phichit was as well, I left for the hotel. I  _ **_needed_ ** _ a shower. And some normal clothes. _

_ I also wanted to grab some things, just in case I end up staying tonight as well. I would like to; I’d even be happy sleeping on his couch. But it all depends on what Yuuri wants. _

Victor grasped the handle of his bag as the elevator door opened. He stepped out of the elevator, and started down the hallway towards Yuuri’s apartment. The wheels of his bag made a comforting, constant sound.

He suppressed a yawn behind his free hand.  _ I’m so tired. I basically stayed up all night with Yuuri. I slept a little, but…  _ Victor sighed.  _ I’m getting too old for all nighters. _

Victor stopped in front of Yuuri’s door and rang the doorbell. He waited for only a few moments before the door opened and revealed Phichit.

Phichit sighed in relief. “Good, you’re back. I’m about to leave for practice. And I didn’t want to leave Yuuri by himself.”

Phichit pulled the door open. Victor walked though, and removed his shoes as Phichit closed the door behind him. Victor placed his shoes next to the others by the door. He shrugged out of his coat and hung it on an empty hook on the coat rack above the shoes.

Victor asked, “How is he?”

Phichit shrugged. “Okay, I guess? As good as can be expected. I got him to eat some breakfast. And he went to take a shower a little bit ago. I heard the water stop, so he should be out any time now.”

A door opened and shut further inside the apartment. Victor turned to look down the short hallway, and caught sight of Yuuri walking slowly down the hall. His hair was still damp from the shower, and his face was scrunched up in pain. Yuuri stopped when he saw Victor standing in the living room.

Yuuri sucked in a breath and said, “You came back.”

Victor smiled and replied, “Of course I did.” Victor walked over to the couch and sat down on one end. He patted the couch as he asked, “Sit with me?”

Yuuri sighed as he walked into the living room.  _ Did Victor Nikiforov seriously just ask me to sit with him, like I would turn him down? _

He walked over to the couch and gingerly sat down on the end farthest from Victor. Victor said quietly, “You can move closer, if you want.”

Yuuri blushed as he scooted nearer to Victor.

Phichit grabbed his gear bag and waved at the the men sitting on the couch as he reached for the doorknob. “I’ll be back in a few hours. Call me if you need anything.”

Yuuri sighed as he replied, “We will. Sorry that I can’t go with you today. My head is still killing me…”

Phichit shook his head. “Ciao Ciao already told you to stay home for a few days. There’s no reason for you to feel guilty about it.”

Phichit opened the door and walked out into the hallway. He looked back over his shoulder and said, “It’s not your fault that you  _ fell _ for Victor…” Phichit laughed at his own pun as he pulled the door shut behind him.

Yuuri groaned. “Phichit…” He glanced over towards Victor. “Sorry, he loves puns.”

Victor chuckled softly, “I thought it was pretty funny.”

Yuuri sighed as he settled in next to Victor. “Please, don’t encourage him.”

Yuuri felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest as Victor moved his arm around Yuuri’s back and pulled him in closer. Yuuri closed his eyes and rested his aching head on Victor’s shoulder. Yuuri thought,  _ I still can’t believe this, but he seems happy. And if what I think I heard last night was true… Maybe I have a shot. _

Yuuri sighed. Victor looked down at Yuuri and asked, “Are you comfortable, Yuuri?”

Yuuri responded with a soft, “Mmmhmm.”

Yuuri gathered his courage, prepared to blame his forthcoming actions on his head injury if it all went south. He took a deep breath and asked quietly, “Victor? I think I might have asked you this last night, but I can’t really remember that well. Why did you come all the way to Detroit to see me?”

Victor stiffened slightly.  _ The moment of truth. I can’t tell him everything. But… the Gala. I can start there. He never has to know about the other. That can be a secret between Chris, Yuri, and myself. I don’t know if he would believe me anyways. I don’t think I would believe it, if it hadn’t happened to me. _

Yuuri asked tentatively, “Victor?”

The sound of Yuuri’s voice cut through his thoughts and brought Victor back to the present. “Sorry. I was just trying to decide where to start.”

Victor scratched the side of his cheek with one finger as he said, “You don’t remember what happened at the Sochi Gala, do you?”

Yuuri felt his heart drop into his stomach. “Oh… God… I have a really low alcohol tolerance? And no self-control when I’m drunk…” He blinked rapidly, trying to keep from crying. “I was still really upset from the day before, and I  _ knew _ I was drinking too much champagne.”

Yuuri sighed as a single tear escaped and made its way slowly down his cheek. “I am so sorry. Just tell me what I did?”

Victor shushed Yuuri gently. He laid a hand on Yuuri’s cheek and brushed away the tear. Yuuri looked up in surprise. Victor said softly, “You asked me to dance with you. Then, you swept me off my feet.”

Victor smiled as he added, “It was the most fun I can ever remember having. Please, don’t apologize. It was the best night of my life.”

Yuuri let out a surprised breath.  _ He really  _ **_did_ ** _ come for me. I can’t hardly believe this. I feel like I have had this dream a thousand times. So that means that what I heard last night was real too, right? Well, as they say, in for a penny, in for a pound… _

Yuuri sat up and turned slightly towards Victor. He leaned forward, tilting his head slightly as he captured Victor’s lips in a soft kiss. Victor melted into the kiss, sighing in disappointment when Yuuri ended it.

Victor breathed, “What was that for?”

Yuuri blushed as he said, “You didn’t get your New Year’s kiss last night.”

Victor grinned. “You were awake?”

Yuuri shrugged. “Barely. I was drifting in and out. I thought I heard you and Phichit talking, and then I heard someone mention New Year’s kisses. I felt you maybe kiss my forehead? So I wanted to give you a real New Year’s kiss.”

Victor’s grin widened. “Can we do it again?”

Yuuri blushed furiously as he smiled. “As much as you want…”

Victor gently cradled the back of Yuuri’s head as he reached down and caught him in a gentle, passionate kiss.

***

A Few Hours Later

Phichit opened the front door and entered the apartment. He sighed as he closed the door and slid the security chain into place.  _ Hmm, it’s really quiet. Did they decide to go out while I was gone? _

Phichit slipped out of his shoes.  _ No, I guess not. Victor’s shoes are still here.  _ He took off his coat and hung it up with the others.  _ And so is his coat. So why is it so quiet? _

He turned to look in the living room, and grinned.  _ That’s adorable.  _ Victor and Yuuri were still on the couch, but they had fallen asleep. Yuuri’s head was on Victor’s shoulder, and Victor’s head was resting on top of Yuuri’s. Their hands were resting in the dip between their touching legs, their fingers entwined.

Phichit quietly fished his phone out of his pocket.  _ They were so tired. Victor was up most of the night. And it looks like Yuuri is actually sleeping, rather than being knocked out from the pain like last night. I should just let them sleep. But first… _

Phichit made sure that the sound was turned off on his phone so that the shutter of the camera would not wake them. He took several pictures of the sleeping couple and smiled at the results.  _ They don’t know it yet, but they are going to want copies of these. Now, to make them a little more comfortable before I make myself scarce. _

Phichit grabbed the blanket that was draped over opposite end of the couch. He covered up Victor and Yuuri, careful not to disturb them. Phichit flipped off the light as he made his way out of the room. He whispered softly, “Sweet dreams.”

He sighed as he made his way back to his room.  _ Good thing that I took a shower at the rink. At least I won’t wake them.  _ Phichit smiled.  _ They look so happy and natural together like that. Maybe this will work out for them? I hope so… _

***

January 8th  
Detroit Metropolitan Airport 

“I wish that you didn’t have to leave.”

Victor sighed sadly as he pulled Yuuri closer to him. He whispered, “l know. I wish I could stay with you. But, the European Championship will be here before I know it.”

Yuuri said, “Then I wish that I could go back to Russia with you.”

Victor shook his head. “No, you can’t. You have school to finish. And the Four Continents to prepare for.”

Yuuri sighed. “I know. Call me when you get home? Please? Regardless of what time it is here.”

Victor replied, “I’ll call you when I have my layover in Frankfurt, and when I get home.  We can video chat as often as you like, too.”

Yuuri nodded. “I’d like that. It will make it a little easier. The World Championships are so far away. I can’t believe that I won’t see you until then.”

Victor said, “I could come to the Four Continents. Would that be okay?”

Yuuri smiled as he said, “I’d love that. But what will you tell Coach Yakov?”

Victor grinned. “I’ll just tell him that I’m studying the competition.”

Yuuri chuckled. “Please, don’t make Coach Yakov hate me before I have a chance to move to Russia.”

Victor asked, “Are you sure you want to do that? I could retire…”

Yuuri nearly shouted, “NO!”

He blushed and cleared his throat. “No, I can’t let you do that. After I graduate in May, I’ll move. It makes the most sense. Please, don’t let me be the reason that you retire.”

Victor kissed Yuuri’s forehead. “Okay, we can discuss it more later.”

Yuuri nodded in agreement.  _ We can discuss it, but there is no way that I can let you retire to be my coach. I can move to Russia. I’m used to being away from home. I haven’t even visited in five years… _

Victor tilted Yuuri’s chin up with two fingers as he caught Yuuri’s lips in a deep, desperate kiss. When he pulled away, they were both breathless.

Victor rested his forehead on Yuuri’s, and tried to savor this last moment they had together. He heard Yuuri’s breath hitch and pulled away to see tears running down Yuuri’s face.

Victor brought a hand up to Yuuri’s face and whispered, “Please, don’t cry.”

Yuuri sobbed out, “But, we won’t get to see each other for so long…”

Victor shushed him gently. “I’ll come see you at the Four Continents. That’s just at the end of February. Then, we’ll see each other again at the end of March for the World Championships.”

Yuuri asked, “But what about after that? I still have to finish school…”

Victor smiled. “And graduation is in early May, yes? I’ll be there to see you get your diploma.”

Yuuri sniffled as he asked, “Promise?”

Victor’s smile widened into a grin. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Yuuri reached up to gently pull Victor into another kiss. This one was gentler, but no less passionate.

Victor smiled as he slowly broke the kiss.  _ He’s getting more accustomed to this. And he is an excellent kisser… _

Victor glanced at the board above Yuuri’s head. He sighed deeply as he said, “If I don’t go now, I won’t make it through security in time to catch my flight.”

Yuuri felt another sob try to force its way out of his chest as he said, “I miss you already, Vitya.”

Victor smiled as he breathed, “Me too.”

Victor hesitated before he pulled out of their embrace.  _ I wish I didn’t have to leave. It hurts… But it is almost a good pain, since I know that when we see each other again it will all be worth it. _

Victor caressed Yuuri’s cheek one last time. Yuuri leaned into the contact, his eyes still bright with tears.

Victor slowly moved his hand away and said, “Let’s not say goodbye. Instead, let’s say I’ll see you soon.”

Yuuri nodded. “I’ll see you soon, Vitya.” He smiled despite the tears still threatening to fall.

Victor sighed as he grasped the handle of his carry on bag. He turned from Yuuri and made his way towards the security line. He could feel the tears starting to form in his eyes.

_ Don’t look back, Victor. If you do, he’ll see you cry. And that would make him cry again. And then, you might never leave. _

_ God, I don’t want to leave. Now that I found him, I don’t want to be without him. This has been the best week of my life. _

_ And the best part about it is that this is not the end. It is only the beginning… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done! I can't hardly believe it. This is my first multi-chapter fic that has reached its end. 
> 
> I will now return to hitting my head against the wall (aka writing my other WIPs).


	10. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays, everyone! It has been a year since I started posting this fic. While I finished the story back in February, I had always intended to write a short one shot to go with it. Originally, I was going to post it as a separate fic, and make a series. But after careful consideration, I decided to add it as an epilogue to the original fic (partly so that people that are still subscribed will be notified). 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy it.

Early May

The room was quiet. Yuuri’s head was resting on his open textbook, the screen of his laptop dark. The phone laying on the desk vibrated to life, the loud and distinct chime of a facetime call breaking the silence. Yuuri started awake. He groggily hit the accept call button as he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

The screen lit up, revealing Victor’s face. Yuuri held the phone up and smiled sleepily. “Vitya…”

Victor smiled softly at the nickname.  _ Did I wake him? He looks so tired. Maybe I should just let him sleep. _

Victor asked, “Were you asleep, sweetheart?”

Yuuri nodded as he yawned. “I guess I fell asleep studying. I just have so much to do…”

Victor sighed. “I could let you go. So you could go back to sleep?”  _ As much I want to talk to him, I hate to see him so worn out. He needs the sleep. _

Yuuri shook his head. “No, I’d rather talk to you. And besides, I have a paper due tomorrow that I still haven’t finished. I needed to wake up.”

Yuuri thought,  _ between practice, class, and homework, I have so much to do. There are just not enough hours in the day for all of it. _

Victor said, “You only have one more week of school, right?”

Yuuri nodded. “Yes. I’m almost done, finally. I just have this last paper to turn in, and then finals week to worry about. If I can survive that, then I will be done.”

Victor smiled, “Yuuri, you’re amazing. I can’t believe that you’ve been training  _ and  _ going to college at the same time.”

Victor thought,  _ I wish that I could have gone to college, too. But I was told that I needed to concentrate on my training. I had private tutors for my secondary schooling. College… wasn’t an option. _

_ … Maybe after I retire, I can go. It wouldn’t be too late… _

Yuuri asked, “Vitya, are you okay?”

Victor nodded, shaking himself out of his thoughts. “Yes, I was just thinking. Sorry, love.”

Yuuri blushed.  _ I’m still not used to him calling me that, even after all these months together. _

He cleared his throat and said, “I can’t wait to see you in a week. I can’t believe that you are really coming.”

Victor grinned as he replied, “ _ Of course _ I’m coming! It’s your graduation! It’s important! Plus, I’m going to help you pack so we can get you moved to Russia.”

Yuuri said softly, “No more long distance relationship.”

Victor added, “We’ll get to wake up next to each other every morning…”

Yuuri sighed. “I can’t wait.”  _ I still sometimes find it hard to believe that Victor wants me. That he wants me to move to Russia and live with him. And that he wants to meet my family. _

Yuuri asked, “How did you convince Coach Yakov to give us so much time away? Technically, I’m transferring to him at the end of next week. But we’re going to be in Hasetsu for two weeks after that, right?”

Victor said, “Well, he wasn’t pleased. But I explained to him that you haven’t been home in five years. So he reluctantly agreed to the two weeks, as long as we promised to practice. Yakov wants us to record our routines, so he can see our progress while we’re gone.”

Yuuri said, “I’ve been working on my short program. I love the choreography that you came up with, but I’m still not sure that I can pull off the Eros feeling you were going for.”

Victor’s mind flashed back to the banquet. “Trust me, Yuuri. You can definitely pull off Eros.”

Yuuri blushed slightly. “Drunk, maybe. But sober?” He sighed, “I’m not so sure. And I’m still struggling with finishing my free skate…”

Victor said, “You’ve had a lot going on lately. I’m not surprised that you haven’t finished it.” He smiled as he added, “Let me help you. We can finish the program before we arrive in Russia.”

Yuuri nodded. “Okay…”  _ I hope he still feels that way when he finds out that I haven’t even picked a song yet… I usually just let my coach pick a song and choreograph my routines for me. I’ve never done one myself… _

Victor asked, “Are you okay, Yuuri? You seem a little distracted.”

Yuuri sighed as he replied, “Yes, sorry. I just have a lot on my mind. This next week is going to be really tough.” He smiled. “But knowing that I get to see you at the end of it will make it all worth it.”

Victor nodded in agreement. “And then we can be together all the time. This week can’t pass quickly enough.”

Yuuri glanced at the time and frowned. “I’m sorry to cut this short tonight, but I still have to finish that paper before tomorrow. Call me tomorrow night?”

Victor replied. “Of course. Good luck with your paper.”

Yuuri smirked. “Thanks, I’m going to need it.”

“Good night, sweetheart.”

“Good night, Vitya.”

***

One Week Later

Yuuri was sitting in the waiting area, his leg bouncing up and down in nervousness. Victor’s flight had arrived thirty minutes before.  _ But he will have to go through customs, since he flew directly to Detroit. Then he’ll have to walk all the way through the airport, dragging whatever luggage he brought with him. It takes a while, I know that from experience. _

He kept his eyes trained on the corridor where the passengers would exit the secure area, watching for Victor’s distinct silver hair.  _ It’s been so long since we saw each other, that it almost seems like a dream. Just the idea that he’s really here… I’m not sure that I’ll really believe it until I see him. _

Yuuri took a moment to think back at all that had happened in the last six months.  _ This year has been a roller coaster. First, the disaster at the Grand Prix Final. Then, just when I thought that I had lost my chance of even making it to the podium at All-Japan, out of the blue Victor called to encourage me. And then… _

Yuuri smiled.  _ And then, he randomly showed up at my apartment. To surprise me. It still feels unreal, like that bump to the head caused me to dream this whole thing up... _

_ But when I see him, it reminds me that this is really happening. He wants to be with me… _

Yuuri’s heart stopped in his chest as Victor walked out from around the corner. He looked slightly less polished than usual. His hair was a mess, completely rumpled on one side from falling asleep on the plane. Weariness was etched in every line of Victor’s face, and he moved sluggishly, as if he was half-asleep.

_ Oh, poor Victor. He’s exhausted… _

Yuuri sprang up from his chair and ran to the exit, impatient to finally embrace Victor after over a month apart. Victor caught sight of Yuuri and perked up, quickening his pace the best he could while dragging two full-sized suitcases and his carry on. Yuuri grinned widely as he bounced up on the balls of his feet in anticipation.

As soon as he cleared the secure area, Victor leapt at Yuuri, catching him in a warm embrace. He whispered in his ear, “Yuuri, I missed you so much…”

Yuuri found himself sniffling through tears he didn’t even realize were falling. “Me too. I’m so glad that you could come.”

Victor smiled as he pulled back and wiped the tears from Yuuri’s face. Yuuri laughed as he returned the favor, rubbing away the tears collecting at the corners of Victor’s eyes.

Yuuri laughed. “Look at us. We’re a mess.”

Victor smiled softly.  _ I hope we’re always like this when we have to be apart from one another. I hope that we act like we’ve not seen each other in years every time we reunite, even if it was only for a day, or a few hours. _

Victor yawned loudly. “Oh, I’m sorry. I guess the flight took more out of me than I thought. I even slept some…”

Yuuri reluctantly pulled away from Victor and moved to grab Victor’s suitcases. “Believe me, I know. I hate international flights. They are so taxing. And since I’ve been training in Detroit, almost all of my competitions have meant long, transcontinental flights.”

Yuuri sighed as he grasped the handles of Victor’s suitcases. He motioned towards the airport doors and started to walk as he asked, “Why don’t we go back to my apartment? We can order some food, and you can get cleaned up. Then we can go to bed early.”

Victor nodded as he followed Yuuri, carrying his messenger bag and pulling his carry on behind him. “That sounds lovely. Especially if dinner can be eaten on your couch, curled up under a blanket with you.”

Yuuri smiled. “That can be arranged, I think. Phichit is out tonight. His last final is tomorrow morning, so he said he was going to hole himself up in the library with no phone or internet. It is one of the only ways he can concentrate on studying.”

Victor chuckled. “Yes, I can imagine. But you’re done with finals, right?”

Yuuri nodded. “Yes, my last test was yesterday. And I already know that I passed all of my classes. All I have left now is graduation practice tomorrow afternoon, and then the actual ceremony on Saturday.”

Victor smiled.  _ I wish Yuuri could see himself the way that I see him. Not only has he managed to train and go to school at the same time, but he has excelled at both. He’s amazing. _

_ I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him. _

***

The early morning sun was shining through the blinds, forming stripes against the bedcovers. Yuuri groaned and covered his eyes with his arm.  _ Ug. Did I oversleep? _ He took a moment to collect his thoughts.  _ Wait… I’m done with classes. And Celestino told me to take the morning off and come in after I’m done with graduation practice… _

Yuuri sighed. He snuggled closer to the body that was in bed with him.  _ That means that I can just lay here in bed with Victor for a little while longer… _

Victor asked quietly, “Are you awake, Yuuri?”

Yuuri yawned as he turned over to look at Victor. “Mmm-hmm. Just barely. How long have you been up?”

Victor smiled softly. “Just a little bit. Did you sleep well?”

Yuuri nodded. “You?”

Victor replied, “Yes, I feel a lot better.”

Yuuri searched Victor’s face.  _ He looks like he feels better. _

Victor leaned in closer and gently kissed Yuuri. As he pulled his lips away, he thought,  _ I am the luckiest man alive. I get to wake up every morning and see his beautiful face. Hopefully for the rest of our lives. _

Yuuri said, “Penny for your thoughts?”

Victor raised an eyebrow in question. “What?”

Yuuri chuckled. “That’s an American expression. I guess I picked it up? It means, tell me what you’re thinking about.”

Victor smiled. “I was just thinking about how lucky I am.”

Yuuri scoffed. “I’m the lucky one.”

“Let’s just say that we’re both lucky, then. We were lucky enough to find each other…”

***

The Next Day

Yuuri was standing in from of the mirror, fixing his tie. Victor walked up and stood behind him, kissing him on the cheek. Yuuri hummed in appreciation.

Victor asked, “Is that the same tie that you wore to the banquet?”

Yuuri nodded. “I like it. It’s really the only tie I have, anyway.”

Victor smiled as he watched Yuuri smooth down the tie. “You look so handsome, all dressed up like that.”

Yuuri blushed as he turned to face Victor. “So do you. I didn’t know that you were bringing a three piece suit, just to wear to my graduation…”

Victor smiled. “It’s a special occasion.  _ Of course _ I’m going to dress up.”

Yuuri asked, “So you’re going to go with Phichit, right?”

Victor nodded. “Yes, we’ll leave in about 30 minutes, so we can get seats.”

He leaned down and caught Yuuri’s lips in a gentle kiss. As he pulled away, he said, “I’m so glad that I could be here to watch you graduate, love.”

Yuuri blushed. “Me too, Vitya.”

***

Yuuri was grinning so widely that his cheeks hurt as he stepped out into the bright sunlight. He held his diploma case firmly in his hands, as if he were afraid it would disappear.  _ It’s not even my real diploma. That will come in the mail, later. But, it is concrete proof that I did it… _

_ I graduated. After all of the hard work, long, sleepless nights, and anxiety, I finally graduated. _

_ Sure, it took 5 years for me to graduate, but most students don’t earn a degree while competing at an international level, so I guess it’s okay. _

Yuuri scanned the thinning crowd for Victor and Phichit.  _ Victor should be easy to spot, as tall as he is. Oh, there he is… _

Yuuri saw Victor standing near the entrance to the arena. He was waving to catch Yuuri’s attention, his other hand occupied by an  _ obscenely  _ large bouquet of flowers.

Yuuri smirked.  _ I guess he really can’t help himself. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. _

Yuuri waved back as he walked towards his boyfriend. Victor was standing beside Phichit, both of them grinning widely. Victor called out, “I have a surprise for you, Yuuri!”

Yuuri replied, “I see them. They’re beautiful, Vitya. But you shouldn’t have…”

Victor interrupted him. “Not the flowers.”

Phichit and Victor moved apart, revealing the two women standing behind them. Yuuri’s eyes went wide in shock.  _ Mom…? And… Minako? What are they…? _

Tears flowed freely from Yuuri’s eyes. He rushed towards them, falling to his knees to embrace his mom. He sobbed out in Japanese, “Mom… how?”

Hiroko wrapped her arms around Yuuri and said, “Vicchan. He talked to Minako and made all of the arrangements for us. We flew in yesterday.” She paused for a moment. “He’s a good boy. He knew how much this would mean to you, and to me.”

Yuuri smiled through the tears still falling down his face. “I’m so glad you’re here, Mom.”

Hiroko gently shushed him. “I am, too. I haven’t seen you in so long.”

Yuuri whispered, “I’m sorry, Mom. Five years is much too long. I promise I’ll never stay away this long again.”

Hiroko sighed. “It’s okay, Yuuri. I know.” She whispered, “You should really give Vicchan a proper thank you. This was his idea, after all.”

Yuuri nodded as he pulled reluctantly away from his mother’s embrace. He stood and flung himself into Victor’s arms. Victor, surprised, caught him, the flowers falling to the ground forgotten.

Yuuri said softly, “I still don’t know what I did to deserve you. This is beyond any doubt the best graduation gift that I could have possibly received.”

Yuuri pulled Victor’s head down, bringing his lips to Victor’s for a soft kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Victor really is a good boyfriend. A little extra, but his heart is in the right place. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. This really is the end of this particular AU (for Victor and Yuuri, at least).

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. ~~_The plan is to have this fic completed by Christmas (unless it becomes longer than 7 chapters). Okay, looks like it will be done by New Year's._~~ So, I'm a dirty liar. It will be done soon. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated.
> 
> Check out the Emil/Michele story in this collection, [Blue Christmas](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12958422).
> 
> Also, feel free to check out my tumblr:[ schaladresdan](http://schaladresdan.tumblr.com/). I'll post updates on my stories there.


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